Brownsville’s Búho expands with coffee bar and nonprofit foundation as bookstore sales climb

Brownsville’s independent bookstore Búho continues on an upward trajectory with its new coffee bar and nonprofit foundation, reinforcing its role as a third space in the community.

Búho officially opened its coffee, tea, and wine bar this month after about 10 months of construction. The project took a little longer than Owner Gilbert Hernandez expected due to the permitting process, but he’s excited to finally showcase it to the community.

“People loved [Búho] before, but I feel like the coffee, tea, and wine, they add layers to it,” he said. “Now it’s the full experience. It combines all five senses into Brownsville’s independent bookstore. Not to mention it was something that people have been waiting forever to have.”

The book cafe features coffee from McAllen-based roaster Grind Coffee Co. and a worldwide wine selection, which the bookstore highlights during its themed wine tastings.

Although wine has been part of the Búho experience since the storefront opened in 2023, the retailer now sells glasses with its beloved owl logo.

Hernandez said he’s always planned to open a coffee bar at Búho because many independent bookstores sustain themselves through diversified revenue streams. However, the local shop had already achieved sustained success before expanding its business model.

As of July 13, Búho boasts a 27% increase in sales since last fall — even after retail titan Barnes & Noble opened a Brownsville location. The boost in sales helped finance the investment in the cafe space, for which Hernandez had a very specific vision.

“I was looking for the best designers, the best contractors, I was looking for stained glass, which was non-negotiable, to really make this addition to the bookstore something worth people coming out of their way to downtown Brownsville to visit us,” the Búho owner said.

In addition to the cafe, which is phase three of the business, the owner also announced phase four — the BUHO Foundation (Brownsville United through Humanities & Outreach).  

The BUHO Foundation is the bookstore’s nonprofit arm, which promotes literacy in Brownsville through book giveaways. A portion of all Búho sales also go toward the cause.

Although Hernandez announced the Foundation alongside the coffee bar opening, Búho has been quietly operating as a nonprofit since 2024. The announcement only shows proof of concept so the Foundation can receive donations.

In 2024, an organization awarded Hernandez a literacy grant, which the donor requested Búho keep anonymous.  

As part of the grant requirements, Búho partnered with the Mitte Cultural District’s board to ensure fiscal responsibility.

The Mitte Cultural District is the walkable district in downtown Brownsville where Búho resides. It’s composed of more than 20 nonprofits that work together to provide creative and educational experiences for the community.

The District became the bookstore owner’s financial sponsor, holding all the nonprofit’s funds and distributing them back to Hernandez as needed. Hernandez also sits on the board.

“Really, what we do is, we just act as a fiscal agent,” Executive Director Daniella Lopez Valdez said. “[Hernandez] really is the one with the brains behind all of this. He’s the one that has the vision and for us, we just want to help him succeed.”

The executive director said the Mitte Cultural District added the Búho owner to the board because of his ability to engage with the community and his passion for bettering Brownsville.

“Education is very important and access to books in a community like ours is growth, it’s prosperity, it’s the end of poverty,” Valdez said. “If you have access to books, if you have access to education, you have access to a mind that is allowed to be diversified and grow and see things from different perspectives.”

Hernandez also clarified that the retail side of Búho doesn’t directly benefit financially from the grant or the nonprofit. He just hopes the concept turns heads toward the bookstore’s direction.

“The Foundation provides for community events, things that make sense for the public to enrich themselves without paying a dollar,” he said. “And the way I see it, [people] could spend the whole day at Búho…and even though not a single dollar was spent, the people who do that will tell their friends about it and eventually, we’ll see that return of investment in the future.” 

With phases three and four of Búho officially up and running, Hernandez doesn’t plan on pumping the brakes. He already has phases five and six in the works, but he doesn’t want to give anything away yet. The Búho owner chuckled and said it’s more for the Brownsville community to look forward to.