Chad and Nellie Montgomery are working on Civil Pour, an establishment that will offer 30 taps of craft beer and a rotating offering of five pour-over coffees.
“We really just wanted to provide good jobs for people in Texas,” Chad Montgomery says of the planned cafe at Walnut Hill Lane and Central Expressway. “The craft beer industry has really been good about providing lots of jobs for people. These multinational beer companies, they move a lot of product but don’t employ a lot of people. Craft brewers employ a lot of people.”
The Montgomerys aren't new to working with craft brews. They started Big Texas Beer Fest six years ago when they saw a need to bring multiple beers to one place for the public to try.
“At the time, we didn’t really have a lot of beer festivals. I think the Brew at the Zoo happened at that point. It was cool, it was fun, but different than what we wanted to do,” Chad says. “The whole mission of the [Big Texas Beer Fest] was to bring awareness to craft brewers. We just didn’t have a way to do that year-round.”
The Montgomerys plan to house Civil Pour at Walnut Hill Lane and Central Expressway.
Courtesy of Civil Pour
Montgomery also developed more of an interest in coffee during this time, which is where the coffee part of the concept comes in. The couple will feature local roasts as well as “some of the best roasters from around the country.”
Montgomery is also excited about having a Poursteady machine — what he calls the “coffee robot” — for more control on the pour-overs.
When Civil Pour opens its doors, Houndstooth Coffee's new Walnut Hill location will be a close neighbor.
"We've been looking at that shopping center for three years. At the time, there was not a coffee shop on that corner," he says. "But I think there's room for both of us to coexist."
What really has Montgomery talking is the beer. The 30 taps are one thing, but he says there will also be a special growler system.
“It’s a sealed environment for the beer to fill growlers. … Oxygen will never touch the beer,” he says.
