One of the world's best cups of coffee is brewed right here on Padre Island, where businesswoman Kathya Reppart has brought her family's coffee legacy from El Salvador to South Texas.
"My grandma was the original coffee lady," Reppart said.
Coffee is in Reppart's blood, with deep roots in El Salvador's renowned coffee industry.
"I grew up in between a farm and the main capital of El Salvador, which is a big coffee producer. We were the best coffee in the world back in the 90's," Reppart said.
Reppart's says her Kilates Coffee, located inside of Cabana Pantry on the island, isn't just serving an average cup of joe. She recently returned from the World Coffee Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia with a new title.
"We went and ranked one our coffees, the Wush Wush washed and we ranked number 37," Reppart said.
Wush Wush is an African variety of coffee grown in Colombia, and Reppart's version of it stands among the top 40 coffees in the world.
Sourcing the finest ingredients from El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Colombia is central to her business philosophy.
"My mission is to make specialty coffee available to all. Like what you see in most places, is not specialty," Reppart said.
While cherry is Reppart's personal favorite specialty coffee, her shop offers many unique options, including their award-winning signature drink.
"Our signature drink is our popcorn latte. That won best new product of 2024 at the Specialty Coffee Association," Reppart said.
Reppart hopes to expand Kilates Coffee with more locations throughout South Texas in the near future.
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