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January 31, 2023 - The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, community members, and family celebrated with Diamond B Coffee owners Marty and Codi Brandon on Friday, January 27, 2023. The celebration included the opening of the coffee shop and its new chamber membership as well as Marty's birthday.
Ambassador President Stephanie Elswick welcomed the business to the community and the chamber. "We are here, of course, to welcome Marty and his business to our community. Several of us have supported Marty and love everything that he does and we are so happy that you are a member of our Chamber." Elswick also announced it was Marty's birthday!
Marty Brandon started off by introducing his help who were able to attend the ribbon cutting. He introduced Hunter Gibson, Rebekah Mcghen, and Layla Hennigan. Brandon then introduced his family, wife Codi and son Shyloh, and told about their journey from Dallas to Shelby County and Diamond B Coffee. The move to East Texas was something Brandon had been wanting for years. He described visiting family when he was younger, "When I would come down here, I would build good memories... I was with my grandparents, you know the rare times you get to see your grandparents when you live a long way away, so, it just seemed like God's country to me then as a kid." He spoke about coming as an adult on long weekends hunting and that's how he got to know Center, "Ya'll are the best town!"
The coffee shop serves delicious coffee and espresso drinks, both hot and cold. Also available are homemade breakfast items, baked goods which pair perfectly with coffee, and lunch sandwich plates. A must try menu item is Marty's famous breakfast quiche.
Diamond B Coffee is located at 500 Hurst Street and is open Monday thru Friday 6am until 6pm and on Saturdays 6am until mid-day. Orders can be placed ahead via the Toast Takeout app.
History of Diamond B Coffee
Diamond B Coffee opened on October 17, 2022 by owners Marty and Codi Brandon. The shop was a realization of a long-held dream for Marty to move to God’s country, Deep East Texas!
Having grown up in the Dallas area with family in Timpson and Appleby, Marty visited the area on long weekends. As a young boy he dreamed of moving here and being a cattle rancher. As life would have it, this proved to be difficult. In high school he found a passion for haircutting, he got a scholarship for beauty school, had two great children and by 20 was a dad with responsibilities and bills and no way to uproot his life. Seemingly stuck in the big city forever he worked as hairdresser and later a general contractor.
In 2021 he found himself in a new set of circumstances, single with the kids grown and gone, and 9 grandchildren by the way, and thoughts of moving to the country were revived. For the last 20 or so years he had been hunting in the area to get at least some time in the country. His deer lease was in Neuville which meant going to Center for food and hunting accoutrement. It was during this time he fell in love with Shelby County and Center in particular.
Marty was and is a coffee addict and was a bit of a home barista, often making lattes for friends and family to show off his skills, he would say "wouldn't it be great to open a coffee shop.” Having the prospect of moving to the country in mind, the ideas started to flow. He felt, “I have to start over career wise because none of my businesses transferred.” With this in mind the idea of opening a coffee shop became a reality.
From left, front row: Codi and Marty Brandon with son, Shyloh
During 2021 while preparing to move Marty and Codi began dating and very soon it was apparent that Codi and her son Shyloh would be coming with him. They were Married on 2/22/22 at 2:00. (He should be able to remember his anniversary!!) So they closed up shop, sold his house, moved into their R.V., and put all they had into Diamond B's remodel and opening inventory. When they opened, Marty said, "The credit cards are full, the bank account is empty, and I have never been happier.”
When thinking of a name for the coffee shop Marty remembered the dreams of moving to east Texas and that as a child he had drawn a brand for his "future" cattle ranch. Scratching it out for Codi he asked what she thought and immediately she concurred “that's it.” Though not a cattle ranch it is a registered brand in Shelby County now and is the inspiration for the coffee shop's theme.
Diamond B is in Marty's words, Artisan coffee made by folks who love to serve people. Diamond B focuses on technique and quality at every step of the process. Searching out the best roasts for each type of their coffees, hand prepping every espresso shot, even using a lever machine instead of the automated ones flooding the coffee world to pull the espresso shots. The "Drip" roast is a dark rich coffee that is great black or dressed up as you like. They even make their own cold brew coffee in house using another roast specifically for that taste profile.
Diamond B offers many food options for breakfast and lunch, ranging from sandwiches, breakfast tacos and kolaches to the now famous Keto Quiche and more. They make many pastries such as muffins, cakes, scones made from scratch, cinnamon rolls, and cookies.
Diamond B currently does not have a drive thru so they rely on technology to accommodate their customers in a timely manner. They use the Toast Takeout app for order ahead and have it ready and waiting for you. They have reloadable cards for gifting or just keeping loaded for your own convenience. Soon they will do curbside carry out and are experimenting with delivery.
Diamond B is not a ranch but it is still the vehicle that allowed the Brandons to get to east Texas. Marty often says "if Diamond B failed and I had to get a job, it was worth it because now I'm here. And who knows, maybe the Diamond B ranch is in my cards in the future!"
