H and H Coffee

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

Dave Crowe

Hoffmann-Hayman supervisor of the cafe department (also described as managing “hotel and cafe sales”) — documented from January 1937 through at least October 1938.

January 1937 — hotel and café delivery route

The News (San Antonio), 23 January 1937, p.6: article “Cafes Serve H&H Coffee and Increase Number of Patrons” — Dave Crowe is identified as supervisor of the cafe department overseeing H&H’s institutional sales channel. The article documents a Steve Menger delivery route photograph at Sandwich Shop No. 2, representing the hotel/café trade focus. The article states H&H had been serving the San Antonio café and restaurant trade “for over a quarter century” — consistent with the E. E. Knous restaurant-specialist role documented in 1923. Source: 1937-01-23-cafes-serve-h-and-h-coffee.

October 1938 — cup-testing with G. P. Menger

San Antonio Express-News, 10 October 1938: feature “Knows His Java and His Mocha Too” — Crowe is pictured pouring coffee during a cup-testing session with G. P. Menger.

The article’s caption reads: “Mr. G. P. Menger, president, Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Company, representing samples for H & H, Sam Houston and Texas Girl blends. An expert in this work, Mr. Menger has been cup testing coffees for 26 years. Dave Crowe, supervisor of cafe department, pouring.”

The “cafe department” title aligns with the January 1937 article and confirms Crowe held the same role through at least 1938. Source: 1938-10-10-knows-his-java-and-his-mocha-too.

Open questions

  • Full vitals, San Antonio directory citations
  • Years of tenure (earliest is January 1937; latest is October 1938 — range may extend further)
  • Whether Crowe’s “cafe department” role continued through the 1940s–1950s Master Chef hotel-trade era

See also