H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. est. 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

City Council votes Thursday, November 5. Submit your support on SASpeakUp — comments are accepted from when the agenda posts until one hour before the hearing. This is the final vote.

The 1932 Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee factory at 601 Delaware Street has cleared every advisory hearing with a favorable consent disposition: the HDRC approved the landmark unanimously on the consent agenda (July 15), the Planning Commission approved the plan amendment unanimously on the consent agenda (September 23), and the Zoning Commission approved the landmark overlay on consent, with no opposition (October 20). City Council is scheduled to consider final adoption of both cases on Thursday, November 5 — one vote to make the protection permanent.

Hearing Status

# Body Date Status Case Number
1 Historic and Design Review Commission July 15, 2026 ✓ Approved unanimously (consent agenda) Z-2026-10700157 HL
2 Planning Commission September 23, 2026 ✓ Approved unanimously (consent agenda) PA-2026-11600062
3 Zoning Commission October 20, 2026 ✓ Approved on consent Z-2026-10700157 HL
4 City Council Thu November 5, 2026 Scheduled — final adoption hearing Both cases

City Council hearing location: City Council Chambers, Municipal Plaza Building, 114 W. Commerce St., 1st Floor, San Antonio TX 78205.

How to Submit Support

There are three ways to submit support for the City Council hearing. Any one counts. Do whichever feels easiest.

1. Online via SASpeakUp (Primary)

  • Go to SASpeakUp
  • Check back when the November 5 agenda is posted — the specific comment item will appear then
  • Comments are accepted from when the agenda posts until one hour before the hearing
  • Include: your name, address, Council District, and that you support Z-2026-10700157 HL and PA-2026-11600062 for 601 Delaware Street

2. Email the Case Manager

  • Send to: Tory.Rodriguez@sanantonio.gov
  • Include: your name, address, Council District, case number Z-2026-10700157 HL, and “601 Delaware Street”

3. In Person

  • City Council Chambers, Municipal Plaza Building, 114 W. Commerce St., 1st Floor
  • Sign up to speak at least 15 minutes before the hearing — on SASpeakUp or onsite
  • 3 minutes per speaker; organizations get 9 minutes with 3 registered representatives
  • A staff member is available 45 minutes before the meeting to help with sign-up
  • You don’t need to be an expert — “I’m a neighbor and I support this” counts

Template Letters

Copy, personalize, send. The more personal, the better — but even a short form letter counts.

Short Version

Dear Mayor and Council Members,

I support the Historic Landmark designation for 601 Delaware Street (Case Z-2026-10700157 HL) and the associated plan amendment (PA-2026-11600062).

Every advisory body that has reviewed these cases approved them on the consent agenda — the Historic and Design Review Commission unanimously on July 15, the Planning Commission unanimously on September 23, and the Zoning Commission on October 20 with no opposition — all with staff recommending approval. The landmark overlay protects this 1932 Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee factory from demolition. Please adopt both.

[Your Name] [Your Address] Council District [#]

Longer Version

Dear Mayor and Council Members,

I support the plan amendment (PA-2026-11600062) and Historic Landmark overlay (Z-2026-10700157 HL) for the property at 601 Delaware Street in Denver Heights.

Every advisory body that reviewed these cases gave a favorable consent disposition. The Historic and Design Review Commission approved the landmark unanimously on the consent agenda on July 15, 2026, with staff recommending approval. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the required plan amendment on September 23. The Zoning Commission approved the landmark overlay on consent on October 20, with no opposition. City Council is now scheduled to consider final adoption of both.

The Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Company built this factory in 1932 — a $130,000 investment at the bottom of the Great Depression. The company was a Menger family firm: founder William Hoffmann’s widow, Wilhelmina Menger Hoffmann — a granddaughter of the Menger Hotel’s founder — incorporated the business after his death, and her brothers Gustav and Rudolph Menger led and expanded it for the next fifty years. The building still has all 1,227 of its original steel-sash window panes in place.

The plan amendment was the housekeeping step that made the landmark possible — it corrected the land use label to match the I-1 zoning the building has had since before the SA Tomorrow plan existed. It changed no zoning and added no uses to the neighborhood. The landmark overlay then adds demolition protection and exterior design review — giving the neighborhood a say in what happens to the building.

[PICK ONE OR MORE OF THESE — personalize to your connection:]

  • As a neighbor in Denver Heights / Dignowity Hill / Government Hill, I want to see this building protected, not demolished. The landmark overlay ensures that.
  • As someone who cares about San Antonio’s historic buildings, this is exactly the kind of preservation the city should be encouraging — an owner who has maintained and cared for a building for over a decade, asking for the tools to protect it.
  • I know the owner, Brett Elmendorf, and I have watched him maintain and care for this building since 2014. He owns it free and clear and is committed to its preservation.
  • The Sports & Entertainment District development pressure is coming to this corridor. Without the landmark overlay, any future owner could demolish this building. Now is the time to protect it.

Please adopt both cases.

Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address] Council District [#]

Talking Points

Use these however you like — in a letter, at the podium, in a conversation, on social media.

  1. Three advisory bodies gave favorable consent dispositions. The HDRC approved the landmark unanimously on the consent agenda on July 15, the Planning Commission approved the plan amendment unanimously on the consent agenda on September 23, and the Zoning Commission approved the landmark overlay on consent on October 20 with no opposition. Staff recommended approval at every stage.

  2. This is the scheduled final hearing. City Council is scheduled to consider both the plan amendment and the landmark overlay on Thursday, November 5. An affirmative Council vote makes the protection permanent.

  3. This is protection, not change. The landmark overlay adds demolition protection and exterior design review. The owner bought the building in 2014, owns it free and clear, and has maintained it ever since — an owner asking for the tools to protect a building he already cares for, the opposite of demolish-and-build.

  4. If it’s not landmarked, it can be demolished. The Sports & Entertainment District development pressure (Project Marvel) is coming to this corridor. Without landmark protection, any future owner could tear down a 1932 factory with all 1,227 of its original steel-sash window panes still in place. The HL overlay is the only permanent protection.

  5. The label correction is the plan-amendment issue. The plan amendment (EFMU→BIMU) corrects a map label to match the building’s long-standing I-1 zoning. No zoning changes and no new uses are requested. It changed nothing on the ground — the map now matches the zoning that was already there.

Frequently Asked Questions

“Does this change the zoning?” No. The base zoning stays I-1 (General Industrial). The plan amendment changes a land use label in the comprehensive plan — correcting it from EFMU to BIMU, which is the only mixed-use category that actually includes I-1. The HL overlay adds exterior design review. Neither changes what can or cannot be built in the neighborhood.

“Why are there two cases?” The Historic Landmark overlay triggered a routine consistency check, which found the plan map’s label didn’t match the building’s long-standing zoning. The plan amendment fixed the label — the Planning Commission approved it unanimously on September 23. The Zoning Commission then approved the landmark overlay on consent on October 20. Same building, one goal. City Council considers final adoption of both on November 5.

“Does this affect my property?” No. The designation applies only to 601 Delaware Street. It has no effect on neighboring properties’ zoning, uses, or values.

“Who is the applicant?” The City’s own Office of Historic Preservation filed the landmark application on behalf of the property owner, Brett Elmendorf / Nobody Industries LLC.

“Do I need to be from the neighborhood to comment?” No. Anyone can submit a written comment or speak at the hearing. Neighbors carry particular weight, but support from across the city counts.

“What if I can’t attend in person?” Online comments via SASpeakUp and email to the case manager both count. Council members receive written comments before the hearing. A short comment is just as valid as podium testimony.

Key Contacts

Who Role Contact
Tory Rodriguez DSD Case Manager 210-207-8302 / Tory.Rodriguez@sanantonio.gov
City Council Final hearing Nov 5 SASpeakUp
Brett Elmendorf Property owner brett@r26d.com