Dear Diary Coffee
Coffee shop · Central East Austin ·
100% vegan coffeehouse with art, gifts, and community vibes
100% vegan coffeehouse with art, gifts, and community vibes
"The Central East Austin cafe is all vegan: coffee, baked goods from Celeste’s Best, and food from Bistro Vonish and others, plus there’s beer. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online or over the phone; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury
"A small neighborhood coffee shop that, due to financial necessity during Austin’s stay-home order, chose to open amid the pandemic rather than delay—an example of businesses adapting to severe restrictions to continue operating." - Erin Russell
"An Austin cafe opened by Amalia Litsa and Joshua Adrian that began takeout service on April 4 after a long build-out; operating five days a week with minimal staff so the owners can fill in if needed. To adapt to supply challenges and new demand, they package cold brew in 22-ounce plastic honey-bear bottles and to-go syrups in 8-ounce bears, concentrate orders with a few trusted local bakeries and caterers, produce and sell masks during slow hours, and are planning curated goodie boxes and other experiments while they use the slow period to refine their concept." - Nick Mancall-Bitel
"Opened April 4 during the COVID-19 pandemic, this vegan cafe and creative community space in Central East Austin is operating contactless pick-ups at 1212 Chicon Street and offering free neighborhood delivery while exploring a partnership with Grubhub. Co-owners Amalia Litsa and Joshua Adrian invested heavily to launch despite pandemic uncertainty, accepting short-term losses and loan payments and being ineligible for most COVID-19 relief because the business had not been open a year prior. The to-go–focused menu features coffee and loose-leaf tea, baked goods from vegan bakery Celeste’s Best, doughnuts from Wheatsville, snacks (Siete chips, mac and cheeze), beer and wine, and occasional grocery items—most notably a 22-ounce “cold brew bear”—with some essentials like milk and toilet paper available temporarily. While regular traffic has been slow, neighborhood response has been enthusiastic; the team reports covering barista wages, supporting partner vendors, and using the quieter period to collect customer feedback and refine offerings. Originally intended as a creative hub for art shows and community diaries, they’re incorporating that spirit now through hand-drawn packaging illustrations and planning creative online events to keep community engagement alive." - Erin Russell
"A vegan cafe for creatives on Chicon Street that will serve coffee drinks, grab-and-go snacks, beer, and host community diaries and creative programming in a laid-back east-side setting." - Erin Russell