About Us

Michael Phlieger native Gallopian and Gallup High Graduate and Brandi (Buckholtz) Phlieger native Albuquerquean and Sandia High graduate first took over Java Joe’s over 24 years ago. The fledgling family took over the struggling business with big hopes, sheer determination and the unwillingness to give up. After many long years and many, many long hours not to mention 3 more children later, they turned Java Joe’s and their family into what it is today. A thriving hub in what they consider to be a very dear part of their downtown community. Running the business as a team, it was not an oddity to see one of the older children working behind the register or at the Grower’s Market during the summer. Currently our nephew Skyler manages the restaurant for us as well.
Michael also took over the coffee roasting over 20 years ago which soon became his passion and Brandi created her own line of healing body care products Being Present Body Care. We have been blessed enough to meld not only the things that give us joy into what we make a living at, but we’ve been lucky enough to do it with our family.
Java Joe’s is not just a place to come and get a fantastic cup of artisan roasted coffee or a very fairly priced delicious meal, it’s a place to come to feel welcome no matter who you are. A place free of politics and the noise of the outside world. It’s the place we created together, where we watched our customers kids grow up and you watched ours grow as well. Its where we watched each others hair start to turn grey and although you may not see Brandi behind the counter any longer because of her health issues, you know that any time she’s there she’s so very happy to see you and share a smile and a story, especially of the kids. It’s a place where we watched our employees grow into adults and move onto their “grown up lives” and although we were all sad to see them go, we were all happy at the same time.
So more so of who we are, I guess the question is what we are, we are your family, we are your neighbors, we are a safe space to come and enjoy a laugh and a fantastic meal with a crazy coffee roaster and his wife and kids who pop in and out every now and again. We are your family. And we are honored to have been here to serve you the last 24 years.