Sovereign Coffee grew into a multimillion-dollar business. Now, more is brewing

Local cafe chain Sovereign Coffee continues its expansion in the Rio Grande Valley, bringing its signature bar-style service to two new cities and adding a bakery and roastery to its growing list of spaces.

McAllen and Weslaco are each getting a Sovereign Coffee this year, becoming the fourth and fifth locations to offer what Owner Kenneth Atkinson describes as “an elevated coffee shop experience.”

“We do a lot of the same things that other coffee shops do so you might say, ‘Well, how do you elevate that?’ And that could be through our beverages, which are only using natural ingredients with really complex and really saturated flavors. But also the hospitality is very interesting,” the owner said. “It’s sort of like a cocktail bar where you order at the bar, pay at the end and just rack up a tab if you want. Or if you want to take it to-go, you’re more than welcome to as well…We aim to make it feel less transactional.”  

Atkinson said he plans to open the McAllen shop at 1113 W. Upas Ave. sometime in August or September but hasn’t settled on a date yet.

Weslaco’s location at 503 S. Illinois Ave. will take a little longer to debut because it’s a hybrid coffee shop and roastery. The owner said the timeline for the roastery is two to three months, but the cafe buildout won’t be ready for about six to eight months.

New things are also happening at the original Sovereign Coffee location in Brownsville. The cafe is moving to a larger space in the same plaza, while the original space is set to become a Sovereign Bakery.

Up until now, local bakeries have supplied Sovereign with their confections. But Atkinson said he grew tired of inconsistencies and decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Luckily, my mom is a good baker,” he said. “So I retired her from counseling and now she’s heading the bakery.”

Atkinson said he’s unsure whether the bakery will double as a retail space, as there might not be enough room for patrons after the equipment is installed. But once it’s up and running,  Sovereign Bakery will supply its sister coffee shops with goods. 

The Sovereign owner admitted that he never thought his business idea would reach this level of success when he opened the first location in 2020 at 24 years old. He was content with the one shop. Now, he employs 60 people across multiple stores that bring in $2-3 million annually.

Atkinson also boasts a low employee turnover rate, which he attributes to the culture that Sovereign has built, and a current starting pay of $15 an hour with regular raises.

Every employee who hits their one-year milestone with the company gets a special shoutout on Sovereign’s social media as a “humble flex.”

“You just can’t have good coffee without good people, you know? And also they literally pay my bills and fund my dreams,” the business owner said. “I can’t thank them enough.”

Regional Manager Jesse Garza climbed the ladder from barista to Sovereign’s first salaried employee in under four years. He said he always wanted to work in the coffee industry but specifically sought out Sovereign for its welcoming environment. 

“At any point in the day, we just want to make guests happy,” Garza said. “And I feel like I just love that part of the coffee community — just showing up for each other.”

Garza’s regional manager duties include training employees and improving hospitality to “really wow” the guests. He said he loves being able to turn someone’s day around with one interaction. 

“I know a lot of the time it’s not about the drink itself, it’s how I made them feel,” he said. “Little gestures go a long way. I just love those little micro moments that we can build to make all of our cafes feel like a third space or a second home to some people.”

With Sovereign’s continued success, the owner said people have already offered to buy the business, but Atkinson isn’t interested. He has no intention of growing another nationwide coffee chain because maintaining Sovereign’s spirit and quality is more important.

Although Atkinson expressed interest in expanding Sovereign to bigger Texas cities like Austin, San Antonio, or Houston, he’s not fixed on the idea. Regardless of whether the business continues growing, he’s already satisfied with the results. 

“I think I reached my goal day one — give great jobs to people who care about their local community and supply our local community with really great beverages and great hospitality,” the Sovereign Coffee owner said. “And if I can keep doing that in different areas, that’s just victory laps, cherries on top of the cake.”