H and H Coffee

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

Your next deadline is 4 PM Monday, October 19. Email Tory.Rodriguez@sanantonio.gov and say you support the Historic Landmark designation for 601 Delaware Street (Z-2026-10700157 HL) — the permanent demolition protection for the 1932 Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee factory. Include your name, address, and Council District. Two minutes, one email.

The 1932 Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee factory at 601 Delaware Street unanimously received Historic Landmark approval from the HDRC on July 15, 2026. The landmark is about one thing: preventing demolition. It is the only permanent protection available — without it, any future owner could tear the building down. Making that protection permanent takes two steps:

Step 1 — Fix the label ✓ Done. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the plan amendment on the consent agenda on September 23, correcting the land use label from EFMU to BIMU.

Step 2 — Approve the landmark (Zoning Commission, Oct 20) — your support is needed now. With the label corrected, the Zoning Commission can approve the Historic Landmark overlay — the actual demolition protection and design review.

City Council then adopts both on November 5. Written comments, voicemails, and in-person testimony all count at every step. Commissioners read the letters and count them.

The Three Hearings

# Body Date What’s Being Decided Case Number
1 Planning Commission Wed Sept 23, 2026 ✓ Approved unanimously on consent agenda PA-2026-11600062
2 Zoning Commission Tue Oct 20, 2026, 1:00 PM The Historic Landmark (HL) overlay — submit support by Oct 19 Z-2026-10700157 HL
3 City Council Wed Nov 5, 2026 Final adoption of both Both cases

All three hearings are at the same location: Cliff Morton Development & Business Services Center, 1901 S. Alamo Street, San Antonio TX 78204.

How to Submit Support

There are three ways to submit support. Any one counts. Do whichever feels easiest.

1. Email (Easiest)

For the Zoning Commission hearing (Oct 20):

  • Send to: Tory.Rodriguez@sanantonio.gov (case manager)
  • Deadline: 4:00 PM Monday, October 19, 2026
  • Include: your name, address, Council District, case number Z-2026-10700157 HL, and “601 Delaware Street”

The Planning Commission approved the plan amendment unanimously on September 23.

2. Voicemail

  • Call: 210-206-9664
  • Max 2 minutes
  • Deadline: 4:00 PM Monday, October 19 (same as email)
  • State your name, address, Council District, case number Z-2026-10700157 HL, and that you support the landmark for 601 Delaware Street

3. In Person

  • Show up before the hearing start time and sign up to speak
  • Zoning Commission: sign up before 1:00 PM on Oct 20
  • You get 3 minutes at the podium
  • 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.

For the Zoning Commission (Oct 20 — the landmark itself)

Dear Commissioners,

I support the Historic Landmark designation for 601 Delaware Street (Case Z-2026-10700157 HL). This 1932 Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee factory — built and run for fifty years by the Menger family, of Menger Hotel lineage — is one of Denver Heights’ most significant historic buildings, and the landmark overlay will protect it from demolition. The HDRC approved it unanimously on the consent agenda with staff recommending approval, and the Planning Commission followed suit on September 23. Please vote to approve.

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

Longer Version

Dear Commissioners,

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.

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 Historic and Design Review Commission unanimously approved the landmark designation on the consent agenda on July 15, 2026, with staff recommending approval. The Planning Commission then unanimously approved the required plan amendment on September 23.

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 approve 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. The label correction is done — approved unanimously. The Planning Commission approved the plan amendment on the consent agenda on September 23. The building has been zoned I-1 (General Industrial) since before the SA Tomorrow plan existed. The plan map labeled it EFMU, a category that doesn’t include I-1; BIMU does. The plan amendment corrected the map to match the zoning that was already there — no zoning changes, no new uses, nothing changed on the ground.

  2. Now the Zoning Commission can approve the landmark on Oct 20. The label fix was the procedural step that made the landmark possible. Now the Zoning Commission can vote on the Historic Landmark overlay — the part that actually protects the building.

  3. The preservation experts already said yes — unanimously. The HDRC, the city’s own preservation commission, approved the landmark on the consent agenda with staff recommending approval. 8 of 16 criteria met, only 3 required.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

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 landmark itself (Oct 20) follows. Same building, one goal.

“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?” Email or voicemail count. Commissioners read written comments before the hearing. A short email is just as valid as podium testimony.

Key Contacts

Who Role Contact
Tory Rodriguez DSD Case Manager 210-207-8302 / Tory.Rodriguez@sanantonio.gov
Planning Commission Approved plan amendment Sept 23 PlanningCommission@sanantonio.gov
Brett Elmendorf Property owner brett@r26d.com