By Rebecca Butler
The scent of freshly brewed espresso drifts down LBJ Drive, mingling with the chatter of students clutching laptops and lattes. Inside Mochas and Javas, the hum of milk steamers and the clink of mugs set the rhythm of San Marcos life — and according to locals, it’s officially the best cup of joe in town.
Mochas and Javas is a family-owned business located nearby the heart of Texas State’s campus. The shop was first opened in 2003 by Kevin Carswell, a 1984 alumnus of San Marcos High School.
Carswell said he opened the shop because he wanted to give his customers a coffee and brunch experience like no other. After Carswell’s daughter, Jordan, returned from an out-of-state college, she decided to help her dad manage their home-base location off N LBJ Dr.
Now, 17 years after opening, the father-daughter duo have expanded to locations in both San Marcos and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Kevin Carswell said the cafe’s first menu started with an abundance of coffee options and even some homemade breakfast and brunch recipes.
“The first oven we baked our cookies and pastries in looked like a Barbie Easy Bake Oven,” Kevin Carswell joked, noting the shop’s humbling beginnings.
He said business was slow upon opening, but they noticed business pick up when they started making our own pastries and food. He attributed this stand-out feature as one of the reasons the cafe became popular with locals.
Now, they have everything from Paninis and breakfast platters to grab-and-go snacks – all made in-house and daily.
“My favorite thing on the menu now is probably our breakfast platters,” Kevin Carswell said. “We have three different options to choose from when it comes to those so I can always mix it up if I want to.”
The Carswell’s have also made sure to accommodate those who are vegan or gluten-free by adding those options to their most current menu.
“My favorite drink is our snowflake latte, which is a latte with white chocolate and peppermint. I always get oat milk with it instead of regular milk because I think it’s just better that way,” Jordan Carswell said.
Asked what makes their shop unique, the Carswells emphasized their appreciation for the wider San Marcos coffee community, saying they frequent and admire the city’s many other cafes.
“I should also say, though, we were one of the first coffee shops closer to campus. We also have lots of regulars that come in daily. We have a great community and atmosphere that is created by us and the baristas and cooks that we hire,” Kevin Carswell said.
Jordan Carswell added that it’s important to remember Mochas and Javas is a family-owned and operated business – something San Marcos is seeing less of each year.
Wherever someone may travel in San Marcos, The Carswell’s goal was that a person would have a Mochas and Javas location nearby.
Mochas and Javas has a perfect balance of locals and students, an open atmosphere, and a perfect cup of joe.
Visit their website at https://www.mochasandjavas.com
This story has also been featured in The University Star.
Rebecca Butler 
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