Sneaks Coffee + Lounge Steps Up In Houston

At Sneaks Coffee + Lounge in Midtown Houston. All images courtesy of Sneaks.

Treading boldly in with a mix of specialty coffee, cocktails and sneakerhead culture is a new cafe/bar concept in Houston called Sneaks Coffee + Lounge.

The inventive cafe and nightclub that opened last month in Midtown is the co-creation of hospitality veteran Eddie Massa, Native Coffee owner Pouya Alavi, and attorney and sneaker aficionado Ash Tadghighi.

Approximately 1,500 square feet within the 5,000-square-foot space are devoted to the coffee shop, which features black ceilings, white walls and colorful sneaker-themed and hip hop murals and art pieces. Seating includes a mix of modern lounge seating and vintage-style pieces, the latter selected to reflect the sneaker and hip-hop culture of the 1990s.

“We leaned into a bold yet sophisticated palette — deep blacks, warm cognac tones, and rich blues — to balance the rawness of street culture with a refined edge,”
Sneaks Managing Partner Sonia Kheshtkar told Daily Coffee News. “Leather, suede, and velvet textures add depth, while metallic accents in gold and brass bring a luxe contrast. The mix of plush seating and industrial elements keeps things both comfortable and edgy.”

Custom-blended coffees supplied by Houston-based District Roasters — which is also the supplier to Pouya’s Native Coffee — make their way to a Compak E8 espresso grinder paired with a Slayer Steam espresso machine, or to a Bunn G2 grinder for drip coffee and cold brew. 

Pouya is leading the coffee program, as well as the operations at the speakeasy lounge, which is accessible through a door disguised as cafe shelving. Coffee also sneaks over to the bar for offerings such as espresso martini called the Black Cat Tini, and a coffee-based tequila shot called Mr. Bean.

Tadghighi, who co-manages the cocktail bar with Pouya, provided sneakers from his personal collection for a museum-like display with LED-lit shelves against white-painted brick walls. A dozen vintage Air Jordans are arranged in a circle to form the numbers of a clock on one cafe wall. 

“Sneakers are the heart of Sneaks, so we designed custom display features that showcase iconic pairs like works of art,” Kheshtkar told DCN. “The centerpiece is our sneaker wall, featuring some of the most iconic designs in sneaker history, alongside a striking sneaker mural that makes for the perfect backdrop.”

For sneakerheads, Sneaks joins Portland, Oregon-based Deadstock Coffee as one of very few establishments in the United States to merge sneaker culture and specialty coffee.

For co-founder Massa, the venture adds to a packed roster of previous openings, including the launch of the now defunct club Clé, and the opening of the Chapman & Kirby gastropub and the MAD tapas and cocktail bar. As a team, Massa, Pouya and Tadghighi also run additional Midtown Houston properties that include the nightclub PDA and sports bar 40 All.

“Each of our establishments has its own identity, but they all share a focus on creating immersive, high-quality experiences,” Kheshtkar told DCN. “PDA is intimate and indulgent, 40 All is high-energy and social, and Sneaks brings a fresh, street-culture-inspired take to the mix.”

Sneaks Coffee + Lounge is located at 3030 Travis St. in Houston. Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here. For all the latest coffee industry news, subscribe to the DCN newsletter.