H and H Coffee

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

City in Comal County, Texas, approximately 30 miles northeast of San Antonio. Founded in 1845 as a German immigrant colony by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels under the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas (Adelsverein). One of the most significant German-Texan settlements in the state and the origin community of H&H founder William R. Hoffmann’s family.

Hoffmann family connection

William R. Hoffmann was a native of Germany who emigrated to America with his parents; the family settled at New Braunfels. Per his 1909 marriage notice in the San Antonio Express-News: “Mr. Hoffman is a prosperous merchant in the coffee and tea business, formerly of New Braunfels and St. Louis” — indicating he left New Braunfels for St. Louis (where he likely gained experience in the trade) before arriving in San Antonio.

At his death on January 10, 1912, his parents still resided at New Braunfels, where he also had three brothers and four sisters. The Hoffmann family funeral was conducted by Rev. O. Hartmann of St. John’s Lutheran Church — San Antonio’s German-language Lutheran congregation — consistent with the New Braunfels community’s Lutheran immigrant roots.

The H&H founding is thus rooted in the German-Texan immigrant community that settled New Braunfels in 1845, spread across the Hill Country corridor, and by 1900 was well-represented in San Antonio’s commercial middle class. See German-Texan heritage for the broader context.

Gustav Hoffmann connection (open question)

The TSHA Handbook of Texas entry for Gustav Hoffmann (1817–1889) documents a New Braunfels founding settler of German origin who built a malt house and brewery and served as an early alderman. Born 1817, died 1889 — he could be a grandfather or great-uncle of William R. Hoffmann (born ~1879). The connection is unconfirmed: New Braunfels birth/baptism records and the Hoffmann family genealogy would resolve it. See William R. Hoffmann and the raw source tsha-hoffmann-gustav-hall-1976.

H&H artifact from New Braunfels

An unused H&H Master Chef paper price sign (~7×12 in, heavy red ink) was acquired in New Braunfels — suggesting H&H’s distribution reached the town through the mid-century. See H and H advertising sign.

Open questions

  • Whether W. R. Hoffmann’s parents are documented in New Braunfels census or church records
  • Whether Gustav Hoffmann (1817–1889) is an ancestor of the H&H founder
  • Whether H&H had a formal distribution arrangement with any New Braunfels grocers

See also

  • William R. Hoffmann — founder; New Braunfels origin
  • German-Texan heritage — broader cultural context
  • tsha-hoffmann-gustav-hall-1976 — TSHA entry for the possible ancestor