EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A local El Paso coffee company that started as a small drive-thru in 2015 is preparing to grow again, with plans for a fourth location expected to open in summer 2026 near Montana Avenue and Saul Kleinfeld Drive in east El Paso.
Steven Svoboda, the owner of 2Ten Coffee Roasters, said the brand began in 2015 “in a small little drive-through on the corner of Resler and Belvedere.” After operating there for a couple of years and roasting coffee at a separate location, Svoboda said the company wanted to focus on “fresh roasted coffee and real food” and saw an opportunity to bring that concept to El Paso.
Svoboda said 2Ten currently has three locations: a drive-thru at Montana and Birch; a shop at 145 E. Sunset, which he described as the first location; and a location at 4935 N. Mesa in the Montecillo development. He said the company roasts coffee on the far West Side, supplying the stores from its roastery.
The planned fourth location is expected to “mimic the current drive-thru layout” at Montana and Birch, Svoboda said, but with a smaller footprint and a different feel. He said the new store will be “a little bit darker, a little cozier.”
The new location will be at 11680 Montana Avenue.
Svoboda said the company’s menu and drink names are created by staff, emphasizing that 2Ten is not a corporate operation with a top-down menu. He said the team develops the drinks and food over time, drawing inspiration from El Paso, including Mexican flavors. “We are El Chuco,” he said.
The company’s name, Svoboda said, comes from coffee brewing temperatures. He said 212 degrees is taught as the ideal water temperature for pour-overs, but “Two twelve didn’t sound good, so we went to two ten.”
He also explained the black-and-red color scheme, though he noted “The T is always red,” which he said signifies heat and ties back to roasting.
At the drive-thru location, Joshua Montes, the store’s general manager, said he has been with 2Ten for about five years.
Montes said he enjoys the people he works with and the relationships he has built with regular customers who come in daily. He said his personal interest is “into the coffee itself,” including what he described as the complex chemistry involved in brewing.
Montes said cinnamon is a frequent customer favorite, adding that “every drink that has cinnamon in it” stands out.
He said he often recommends the blackberry mocha as something different.
Lex Valdez, the manager at 2Ten Coffee Roasters’ drive-thru location, said her time with the company includes seven years of work, a two-year break, and about five months since returning. Valdez said she started at the Sunset location, later helped open the Montecillo location, and has worked at multiple stores.
Valdez said customers “love the 210 breakfast burrito,” describing it as a grab-and-go item with potatoes, eggs, green chili, bacon, shredded cheese and cilantro, served with salsa on the side.
She said the Spanish latte has long been a popular drink, and she said the arroz con leche chai has recently been “a hit.”
Valdez said she recommends ordering it “dirty,” with a shot of espresso, or a double shot.
Svoboda said he believes El Paso’s local coffee scene has grown significantly and said he is encouraged by local shops opening and staying open.
He said the community “thrives on local,” even as small businesses compete with larger corporations.
He said he hopes the local coffee scene continues to grow in a way that puts El Paso’s coffee shops “on the map” and makes them well recognized.
2Ten will hold a coffee rave on Saturday.
It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at their location in Montecillo, located at 4935 N. Mesa Street.
DJ Alvah will perform at the event.
Coffee raves are a growing global trend in cafe culture where high-energy music, DJ sets, and dancing are combined with coffee consumption, typically in alcohol-free, morning or afternoon environments.
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.