One of Germany’s Most Popular Coffee Shops Lands in Bellaire, Texas

Coffee Fellows, one of Germany’s top coffee houses, has opened its first North American store in the Houston area.

The European coffee house, which opened Wednesday morning on 4900 Bissonnet Street in Bellaire, is serving a variety of hand-made coffees, teas, smoothies, and juices, plus bagel sandwiches, pastries, and salads — all with an emphasis on sustainability, according to a release.

Though originally launched in Munich, Coffee Fellows intends to tailor its menu to American preferences and will prioritize locally sourced ingredients and will use local vendors and a local roastery in an attempt to adhere to its environmentally-friendly practices, according to a release.

Andrew Hemingway

The chain will likely get some added perspective on the Houston coffee scene from its North American chief operating officer Chris Fannin, who formerly led local chain Common Bond Bistro & Bakery as president.

Fannin will help oversee the German chain’s expansion throughout the United States, which is slated to open up to 25 locations in Texas alone, including its first-ever, drive-thru stores. In the Houston area, Coffee Fellows plans to open three more locations in the Heights, River Oaks, and in Katy by late summer or early fall. The additional locations planned for Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and the Houston area will open sometime in 2024 and/or 2025.

To date, the coffee shop, which was launched in Germany in 1999, has more than 200 locations throughout Europe and Mongolia.

Andrew Hemingway

Several coffee houses with an international component have been cropping up in the Houston area over the past year. Canadian chain Tim Horton’s opened in Katy last year, followed by New York-based, Australian-style cafes, like Blue Stone Lane, which now has multiple Houston outposts, and Citizens of Montrose, another New York-based Australian-style cafe that opened in early June.

Coffee Fellows in Bellaire is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.