AUSTIN, Texas – Popular north austin The café, which was slated for closure, was given a second chance thanks to increased community support.

The letter ‘G’ on the front of the original Joe Coffee House means exactly that; matchless. Customers say this is the experience they have when they come in for a cup of joe.

“I know all the staff, they recognize me every time I come in, it’s like they’re so nice they include you, it’s like they include you in the family around here,” said coffee shop regular Carlee Abney.

The spot on Anderson Lane opened in 2005 in hopes of creating a community space.

“There’s an energy in the community here, and it’s really special. I’m blown away every day by how good it is. It’s a great feeling to be here,” owner Josh Brown said.

Coffee lovers will find here a wide variety of dinosaurs, comfortable chairs, friendly staff, dedicated locals and, of course, coffee.

brown says COVID-19 outbreak It was tough for the coffee shop, like any other business, but community support got them through. But there was still another challenge ahead.

In 2021, the property was sold to a real estate developer who plans to build 220 luxury apartments occupied by the Original Joe.

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“It’s very hard not to know that your people depend on this place for their livelihood. The people who work here that you don’t have, I didn’t feel confident for over six months that I would be here no matter what time was given,” Brown said.

After that, he started looking for locations, but Brown says he always ran into roadblocks along the way.

“A big part of it was about funds. If a building you’re looking at suddenly needs a six-figure renovation. And we’re making money. One cup of coffee at a time. You know, we’re doing this more for the love of the community, which is a realistic way forward,” Brown said. “It’s hard to find a way,” he said.

On Halloween, the business announced it was closing after Brown said they were strapped for cash, but the community took action again.

“Everybody said, ‘How can I help? I want to help. This is important. I want to help. And it just kept coming together. Then we found a path forward,” Brown said.

A GoFundMe from the community The original Joe family raised nearly $15,000 for a relocation fund to help ease the transition as they searched for a new place to call home.

Brown says they want to stay in the same community.

The existing building is scheduled to be demolished in February. Brown said the plan is to open its new doors as soon as possible to ensure the community is not left without its beloved coffeehouse.

“Wherever they move, I will definitely go,” Abney said.

“I’m really excited to see what happens when we don’t stress about where we’re going to be in three months. It’s going to be great,” Brown said.

Brown told FOX 7 Austin that the announcement about a new location will come via Instagram.