Corpus Christi – There’s not much better than the smell of roasting coffee beans in the morning. It wakes you up, starts your day and then gives you that extra pep in your step. Now, think about mixing that with a temporary escape from reality. That’s what you’ll find at The Coffee MUGG in Corpus Christi, Texas.
“It was something that I always wanted to do, and thought it would never happen,” The Coffee MUGG owner Susana Almaaguer said. “I pretty much would pitch people ideas about it. I let them know about it and they would just be like, “Really? Why can’t you just do a regular coffee shop?”
That did not stop Almaaguer, who was born in Corpus Christi and graduated from W.B. Ray High School. Following her divorce, she longed to work at a local coffee shop to support her and her two children-but her search came up short. She was working several odd jobs to make ends meet when she decided to take the leap of faith. In 2018 she made a choice to do it on her own.
“So when I opened this place up it was just me, I was my only employee. And I look back at it now, that really wasn’t smart,” Almaaguer said. “I thought we’ll start small because I could barely even afford myself. I was the cahier, I was the barista, I was the owner, I was the manager, I was everything.”
The Coffee MUGG is not your ordinary coffee shop. You step in and you are immediately transported into the world of Harry Potter. Whether you’re familiar or not with the popular book and movie series by J.K. Rowling, the atmosphere of The Coffee MUGG is just, plain fun.
“I didn’t want Harry Potter’s face everywhere. I didn’t want that,” Almaaguer explained. “I want it to look like you’re walking into a common room. We’ve had people come in dressed up just to have a cup of coffee. They just want to sit down in their Harry Potter garb.”
Almaaguer wasn’t even allowed to see the original Harry Potter movies. It was her brother, her partner in crime, who introduced her to the series.
“I wasn’t allowed to see the movies. I went behind my mom’s back because I was a bit of a rebel,” Almaaguer said. “My brother was the one who said we were going and that we better not tell mom. It is the greatest movie ever. I had a very, very rough childhood. It wasn’t the greatest, and that was my outlet. I could relate to someone who didn’t have the best childhood but he had love, that that’s what help him to get through all of that. I get customers in here and they tell me that all the time. They’re like, “Harry Potter saved me.”
When you visit The Coffee MUGG feel free to bring your broom, your wand and to just be yourself while enjoying those specialty drinks with a Hogwarts flair.
“I created a spot where customers can just come and have a cup of coffee and not feel judged, but actually feel that comfortable that they are like, “ I can go somewhere and be who I am and I won’t get judged for it,” Almaaguer said. “And I love that. I love that people feel comfortable to do that.”
Thanks to a collection of colleges and an eclectic feel, Denton, Texas has been called a mini Austin of sorts and the stop we found fits right in. Along the banks of Copper Creek on the city’s northeast side is a chairy orchard but we’re not talking delicious fruit, this chairy orchard pulls the seat out from under ya. Turns out it’s field full of chairs!
Red chairs, blue chairs, black chairs, old chairs, new chairs. One has a little star, man what a lot of chairs there are.
Well, what would you guys do without each other? “I think my life would not be nearly as fun. We have a lot of fun. Sometimes people have asked, if, “Say, haven’t you ever had a fight?” And I said, “No, not really.” And I can tell you one thing that why it works, Ann will probably agree. If Ann doesn’t want to do something that I do, we don’t do it. We both have to agree”, Judy said.
Mom’s Kitchen. Despite the fact owner Maggie Espinoza is not a professional chef, the food there is as delicious as it is authentic.
Mom’s is well-known in these parts for their Mexican food, so we had Maggie make us one of her trademark combo specials. And let me tell you, she really put all her love into this one. It featured her red and green enchiladas, a crunchy taco, a scrumptious side of rice and beans, and a generous helping of their homemade salsa. “I dedicate myself to doing things the right way because … I go to places and I think, nope, this is not right”, Maggie said proudly. And I can attest, this is truly Mexican food done right.
