Progress Coffee Is Back
More to Sip & Savor
Words by Deven Wilson, Photos by Baptiste Despois
An icon of coffee since the early aughts, James Benson and Scott Withers have brought Progress Coffee back into the coffee shop game. While a nostalgic comeback can fall flat in the face of a new scene, Progress Coffee + Beer is hitting the ground running with more than just beans.
Walking in Progress, there is an immediate shift from the loud rush of cars flying by on the I-35 frontage road. The old-school feel of the renovated mechanic shop and large wall of windows looking in the roastery feel worlds away from the highway, and the friendly laidback atmosphere is only heightened by the fresh scent of roasted coffee beans. “I’m an old school patron of Radio and [coffee shops] like that,” Scott reflects on what brought Progress back as a shop. Falling in love with that concept inspired Scott and James to focus the new Progress concept around being community centered: an all-day and all-night place where people can gather to work or for a first date with a coffee or cocktail in hand.
Progress made its imprint on the Austin coffee scene in 2004 under the leadership of Joshua Bingaman (founder of Helm boots). They were one of the first coffee shops in Austin roasting their own beans. Their roastery took off, and after selling the space in 2013, Progress was solely focused on fine-tuning roasting. Ten years later, led by James and new co-owner Scott, Progress returned to the same roastery space as a coffee shop.
Progress brings a higher standard of espresso pull as a roaster, thanks to having complete control of the process by directly buying and processing their beans in-house. While it’s easy to expect an amazing Americano or Espresso martini (both on the menu), their decaf is the ultimate proof of their roasting prowess. “We actually don’t dark roast our beans for decaf,” James explains. “We wash the caffeine off.” Called the Swiss Water Process, Progress gently soaks green coffee beans in an organic water solution for over eight hours. This unusual trick pays off in a decaf espresso pull so rich and vibrant, it easily could trick a coffee aficionado into believing it’s full caff. It’s a simple, yet effective, trick that proves Progress has lost no time since 2013 in leading the charge for how coffee is brewed in coffee shops and will continue to be a leading name as it makes its prodigal return on the Eastside.
The backyard selection of food trucks behind Progress turns a quick coffee stop into a full day. Picking up their legacy of working with up-and-coming names in the food game (Progress was the original home of Franklin’s BBQ), co-owners James and Scott take great care of who sets up shop. With stellar tacos from Pueblo Viejo, top vegan pizza from Li’l Nonnas, and a full-on trailer speakeasy inside Visitant Social Club, there’s something iconic growing in their backyard.
Contact:
3421 North I-35
orders@progresscoffeeroasting.com
progresscoffeeroasting.com
@progresscoffee
