Roaming Tiger
Cool Austin coffee shop brings first expansion to San Antonio

El Tigre is opening its first outpost, which will be in St. Paul Square.
UPDATE: El Tigre Coffee Roasters is open in San Antonio as of February 7.
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A new coffee shop with Austin roots is coming to St. Paul Square. El Tigre Coffee Roasters, which has been open in the capital city since 2019, will open sometime in February at 123 Heiman St.
El Tigre prides itself on "sourcing high-quality beans from around the world," according to a press release. It has two single-origin roasts from Honduras and Brazil, and one half-and-half blend of the two.
The existing shop offers a fairly standard coffee menu with some additions like alternative milks, unique flavors (rose and raspberry, among others), and Mexican specialties like hot chocolate. Products will be sourced with "sustainability, quality, and community" in mind.
The new sign.Photo courtesy of El Tigre Coffee Roasters
In Austin, much of El Tigre's popularity is thanks to its cozy environment; since January 2024, it's been located in a homey trailer that a handful of guests at a time can hang out in. In San Antonio, it'll be located in a convenient corner building, the former home of Vice Versa Coffee & Music and Lucy's Bodega.
The San Antonio location is the first outpost and is debuting El Tigre's light breakfast and lunch options. The menu is still under wraps.
Although El Tigre originated in Austin, founder Tatanka Guerrero is now based in San Antonio. The Chilean-Texan restaurateur first became well-known in the region for his Marfa restaurant, Al Campo. He's also worked on projects in Miami and Los Angeles, and has most recently opened a cool Austin cocktail bar called Trona.
The projects united under Guerrero's Dreamers and Doers Hospitality Group share an artistic sensibility that blends extremely chic and moody interior design with more relatable elements like graffiti, tattoo art, and homey desert stylings. So there are no photos of the interior of the shop, but if it looks anything like its family concepts, it'll be shaped by similar themes.
This building has seen a few concepts in recent years.Photo courtesy of El Tigre Coffee Roasters
“San Antonio is a special place, and I’m honored to have been welcomed with open arms into this community," said Guerrero in a press release. "My El Tigre team and I look forward to serving San Antonio residents for years to come and we can’t wait to get to know all of our new downtown Eastside neighbors, including all the bakers, pastry chefs, and farmers, and producers as we look to source as much as we can locally. Plus, I have some new culinary concepts in the works for San Antonio that will open soon, so there is much to be excited about."
When El Tigre at St. Paul Square opens, it'll operate 7 am to 4 pm daily. After a soft opening phase, the shop will update both the official opening date and operating hours. Potential visitors can check Instagram for any updates before arriving.