I stopped by Hope’s newest coffee shop, Big H Coffee Company, which is located at 803 West Commerce Boulevard in the same building as H&H Fitness.  The business also has a Texarkana location at 4706 McKnight Road. The businesses are owned Nick Hibbs and Alfonso Hinojosay, hence the two h's. 

Manager Breanna Reardon confirmed that the shop had indeed first opened in November when I began to take notice of it but I had not visited until Monday early afternoon. I was immediately impressed by its woodsy décor and extensive menu of beverages, breakfast entrees, hot lunches and snacks, all reasonably priced.

The idea behind the shop was to address a gap in the restaurant offerings in Hope.  “We just needed something healthy around here. Hope is in desperate need of a healthy place where anybody can come and get something without the additives and the fructose corn syrup and all that,” Reardon explained.

She listed some of the most popular items Big H serves. “Our peanut butter banana smoothie actually called a Banana Peanut Butter Cup. It's our best seller. For smoothies, our Caramel Macchiato--that's our most popular coffee. You can get it hot or iced,” Reardon said.

There is also a popular breakfast option, Reardon said. “The bacon, egg and cheese croissant is pretty good. A lot of people order that. The bacon is kind of like a smoky flavor. And we make everything right back there.”

I had a simple fresh dripped coffee with cream. It is a medium roast with definite notes of caramel and cedar the like of which I’ve never tasted anywhere else.  I’ll certainly be a repeat customer, especially as the shop has Wi-Fi access. 

As you would expect, Big H serves coffee, coffee drinks and fruit smoothies, but also lunches from Prep’d Meals. This week those include three different choices available if you order them here. Thursday, Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken over Noodles and & Green Beans; Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Corn; and Chicken Fried Rice for $10 a meal or $9 a meal if you subscribe. 

The shop’s hours are Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.