In December 2012, Lori Green walked into Mazama for the first time to meet a friend for coffee. She remembers enjoying the environment of the coffee shop and feeling as though Mazama would be a great place to work. So, on her way out, she asked an employee if they were hiring. She applied, was interviewed by the founder, Vicky Lewis, and soon started working as a part-time barista. She never would have imagined this part-time job would lead to her falling in love with the shop, customers, and community and—ten years later—owning the business.
Over the years, Lori’s part-time job as a barista transformed into a full-time manager position. As she poured a decade of her life into the company, learning the ins and outs of the business, scheduling employees, managing the baristas, ensuring everything ran smoothly, and providing an overall high-quality experience for all who stepped foot through the door, she became a welcoming familiar face to the community. When the founders decided they wanted to sell the business in 2022, they had only one person in mind who they could trust to carry on Mazama’s legacy. When Vicky presented Lori with the opportunity to become the owner of the company, it took her by surprise. “Owning the shop wasn’t even in the cards for me,” Lori said, “but Vicky knew how much I loved the shop and the community it has created in Dripping Springs.” Lori and her husband, Darren, took ownership of the business in September 2022, nearly 10 years after she had been hired on staff as a barista.
Located on Dripping Spring’s historic Mercer Street, Mazama provides the community with a variety of coffee beans sourced from around the world, all of which are roasted locally in the shop. Mazama also provides a wide range of baked goods and sandwiches made in-house. Although the company is best known for its high-quality coffee and food, the aspect of the coffee shop Lori most cherishes is its ability to form community. “Mazama is a place for people to come together and a place to feel welcome,” Lori said. “We want our customers to feel like they belong; like they are valued. We have made so many lifetime connections with many of our customers. Mazama is really theirs. They have made it what it is by continuing to support us with their business and their friendship.”
Lori plans on continuing the founders’ legacy by building upon the space they have created for the community to come together. “I want Mazama to continue to be a staple in this community as a place for people to gather and to connect. This shop belongs to the community and I want to always make sure that we honor it in all we do.”
