One of San Antonio’s most acclaimed coffee shops is coming to Houston. Merit Coffee will open locations in the Heights neighborhood and near West University Place in 2026.
Founded in 2009 in San Antonio, the new coffee shops will join Merit’s existing 13 locations in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. In Houston, the company will open in the former Starbucks at 5115 Buffalo Speedway in the first quarter of 2026 followed by a location next summer in the Swift Building, Radom Capital’s new project near MKT Heights (621 Waverly St.). The business has earned considerable acclaim, including being named Best Coffee Shop in the 2025 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards.
Merit sources coffee beans from growers in Central/South America and Africa and then roasts them locally. Houstonians can already find the company’s coffee beans at H-E-B, Central Market, and Whole Foods Market, but now the city’s coffee lovers will finally have access to an in-person Merit Coffee experience.
“We’ve been wanting to come to Houston for a couple of years now,” Merit vice president of sales and marketing Charlie Paulette tells CultureMap in an email. “We have many fans of our coffee in Houston and providing the full Merit experience that our cafés deliver is our objective for any Texas city or town. Last year, we started speaking with some real estate partners and reviewing properties around the city. It’s important to find properties that are unique because no two Merit Cafes are alike (we currently have 13 in the state.)”
Merit’s physical locations are built with their neighborhoods in mind, giving patrons a place to come everyday. In addition to all the usual espresso beverages, Merit is known for speciality items such as the cereal milk cold brew topped with crushed Fruity Pebbles cereal, strawberry matcha, and hot and iced teas.
“We’re beyond excited to finally bring the Merit café experience to Houston,” CEO Bill Ellis added in a statement. “This is something our customers have been asking for, and we’re thrilled to create new community spaces where our guests can enjoy world-class coffee, thoughtfully designed environments, and genuine connection.”