Considered one of San Antonio’s longest-running coffeehouses has been snuffed out. Candlelight PourHouse, situated off the St. Mary’s Strip in Tobin Hill, has quietly closed after a three-decade run.
In January, the brunch spot introduced it was taking a hiatus, however promised it might ultimately return. Since then, it has deleted its social media pages and cleared out of its Victorian townhouse at 107 Kings Courtroom.
Candlelight first opened in 1995 at 3011 N St Mary’s St, the house that now homes nightclub Vibras. With its mismatched furnishings, brightly painted partitions, and amateurish summary work, it was the form of hangout that was as soon as widespread earlier than Starbucks commodified espresso tradition.
It grew to become an instantaneous hit with school college students and artists, who appreciated its bohemian vibe and bottomless mimosa offers. It was particularly embraced by the LGBTQIA+ group as one among San Antonio’s true secure locations away from the Primary Road homosexual bars.
In 2021, the enterprise moved throughout the road, emphasizing the backyard setting and rebranding as PourHouse. Proprietor Tammy Russell, nevertheless, was quickly plagued with points similar to ongoing building on the Strip and an incapability to safe COVID restoration grants.
The lack of revenue led Candlelight to restrict its hours in 2023. On the time, Russell instructed KSAT that she had tapped into her retirement funds, though she vowed to maintain preventing for the enterprise.
The spotty hours continued into its last days. Commenters in a 2026 Reddit thread stated the place hardly opened and had few prospects when it did — a reality made extra noticeable by the brunch strains stretching out of its neighboring restaurant, Cullum’s Attaboy.
Candlelight’s sleek previous constructing, nevertheless, received’t be vacant lengthy. Fashionable Fort Hills Latin restaurant Bilia Eatery is shifting into the house to open a brand new idea, Vecino, in accordance with a not too long ago filed Texas Alcoholic Beverage Fee public discover.
