History

Wake the Dead Backyard - Photo by: Veronika Kondratieva

The Start of Something New

 by Tara Pohlmeyer

Wake the Dead Coffee House opened its doors to San Marcos in May 2008, touting a unique presence and true locality.

Owner Julie Balkman said she wanted the coffee house's theme to be "playful haunted house-like and carnival-ish, with a splash of plants everywhere."

The regulars and locals have made the off-the-wall coffee house clad in red and black stripes a success, Balkman said.

"The atmosphere accomplishes everything it sets out to," Christina Orta, a barista of three years, said.

"I think it surprises people when they get here," said Dana Dacy, one of the original baristas at Wake the Dead.

Wake the Dead has come a long way since its conception, the baristas said.

"The stage room opened a year later," Balkman said, paving the way for the many events and shows hosted by the coffee house.

The coffee house's popularity has increased throughout the years.

"Our customer base has just exploded," Dacy said.

Outside Bench - Photo by: Tara Pohlmeyer

Bill Cunningham, a 1973 Texas State University alumnus and retired journalist, said he is a regular at Wake the Dead.

"I usually start my day here before I go out and around," he said. "It's kind of a good little way to start the day."

It's "very warm and laid back," Cunningham said as he sipped his hot ginger cider, a specialty winter-time drink.

The staff members at Wake the Dead are part of what make it so great, Cunningham said.

"They're fun," he said. "They're good people to talk to. You make good friends here."

"Friendly baristas, quality products, atmosphere and events" make Wake the Dead unique, Balkman said.

"I love this place. I love the people," Dacy said.

Wake the Dead doesn't attract one type of person, but people from all walks of life.

Syrups and  Coffee - Photo by: Veronika Kondratieva

"We have professors take their classes here," Dacy said. "We have the old folks home come and have lunch here. We have children and family days, and we have ... the college base. People that come in here are just such a wide range of people."

"I feel like this is just truly a local place," barista Kat Herbert said.

In addition to coffee, Wake the Dead offers food and a selection of over 50 beers. Everything is prepared by the friendly baristas, Herbert said.

"Food made with love tastes better," Herbert said.

"If you care about your job, everything comes out better. I think everybody really cares about this place," Dacy said.

The quirky coffee house nestled in on Old Ranch Road 12 holds a special place in San Marcos, the baristas said.

"It is charming, homey, relaxed, fun, delicious, exciting, hip and attractive," Orta said. "It's like one big cup, or bottle if you dig all of our beers, of 'Ahhh.'"