Gemma Hildred and Brian Hinkle realized during COVID that their community in Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood didn’t have a gathering place. “We realized it was a bit of a desert for a coffee shop,” Hildred said. The two began planning a venue that would merge their two passions – coffee and geology. Hildred is a geologist by trade and has worked for Chemostrat since 2006. A Welsh native, she met Brian at a bar after being stationed in Houston a few years later. Hinkle worked for Ford at the time, selling commercial trucks. The two hit it off and Hinkle took up his own interest in geology. Together, the couple has traveled the world fossil hunting and scoping out new breweries, coffee shops, and geological highlights.
For their own spot, they hoped to bring it all together – minus the beer, that is. Hinkle learned more and more about specialty coffee while at home during the lockdowns and Hildred had long ago perfected baking her own scones and British sausage rolls.
“It’s loose sausage meat seasoned inside flaky pastry,” she explained.
The Concept Takes Off
The two launched their concept in January 2021 under the name “Cambrian Coffee,” tying in Hildred’s geologist and Welsh roots.
“The name ‘Cambrian’ works out so well because we likened the Cambrian period with the largest explosion and diversification of life on Earth,” said Hinkle. “It’s very much like Houston. It’s the fourth biggest city in the country, and soon they say it will be the third. It’s also one of the most diverse cities in the country … ‘Cambrian’ also references (in Latin) the country of Wales, where some of the original Cambrian rocks were exposed, and that’s where Gemma grew up.”
Though challenging to kick off at the height of COVID, the coffee shop’s reception has been solid.
“We do have a really strong following from people into geology, dinosaurs, paleontology, all that,” said Hinkle. “But at the end of the day, we’re still just a local neighborhood shop.”
He quit his job to manage the shop, including its coffee sourcing and inventory.
“We like to source our coffee from a lot of small farms and really specialty stuff,” said Hinkle. The shop’s guest roasters, which rotate a few times per year, typically come from places where the couple have traveled.
Overall, however, Hinkle tries to keep the coffee selection approachable to all – whether they come in for a simple drip coffee or a done-up latte. Hildred bakes all the pastry items in-house and works part-time with Chemostrat. The British sausage rolls are her biggest hit.
“During the first six months we were open, we had sold over 10,000,” she said.
The couple has hosted many educational events around geology, and Hildred participated in an event discussing geological factors’ effects on coffee at IMAGE’25, co-hosted by the AAPG Women’s Network, the Midwest Geosciences Group, and the Association for Women Geoscientists’ Lone Star Chapter.
“I would love to do more educational sessions in (the shop),” said Hildred.
The couple have considered franchising or expanding to other markets, but for now, they hope to grow and maximize the space in Houston that they have.
“We always keep ourselves flexible if the right opportunity comes along,” Hinkle said. “It’s been five years … and we are always mindful of staying sharp and always trying harder and doing better.”