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Java Rocks • Hutto

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Written by Beth Wade Wednesday, 07 November 2007

Coffee house home to refreshments and treasures

When customers walk into Java Rocks, they will be greeted and served by Tony Dicorpo, who started the coffee house three years ago after working for years as a corporate travel consultant.

“I like to joke and say I make half of what I made with my real job and have two times the stress, but I can say I enjoy coming to work and look forward to it,” Dicorpo said. “That is something I hadn’t experienced in quite a few years with my previous job.”

Java Rocks serves specialty coffee, sandwiches and baked goods, Dicorpo said. The shop is also home to several snacks and drinks named for Hutto's mascot, the hippo.

“We are the only coffee house, and that is good. Not for the sake of competition, but for the sake of saturation,” he said. “A town can only support so much of one type of business.”

Dicorpo prepares everything in the coffee house, from the lattes to the chocolate cake. The muffins, cinnamon rolls and scones are made fresh daily, while items like cakes and brownies are made two or three times a week. Although he has no formal kitchen training, he said he has always loved cooking and baking.

“I taught myself,” Dicorpo said. “I did learn a lot of recipes from my mother, who learned from my grandma.”

The recipe for biscotti comes from Dicorpo's Sicilian grandmother. Because his grandmother did not measure the ingredients, Dicorpo and his mother got as close as possible to recreating the recipe his grandmother had perfected, he said.

The work of two amateur photographers line the walls. In the past he has featured oil and acrylic paintings and metal sculptures.

“I do some consignment with Central Texas artists,” he said. “I love to display new work. I usually have it up in 30-day intervals, but sometimes it stays here longer.”

Jewelry is also for sale in the coffee house, all handmade and created by Dicorpo’s business partner, Jay Hnath.

Three years after opening the coffee house, Dicorpo is still learning the business.

“It was very challenging [opening Java Rocks]. I had to learn fast how much to order and how much I could afford to waste," he said.

Dicorpo is awaiting the arrival of his own coffee roaster that will allow him to roast coffee in house and offer a wider selection of whole beans. Panini sandwiches will also be added to the menu, which will be expanded to include three or four new sandwich selections.