'10 a.m. is the new 10 p.m. right now'—Locals switch cocktails for coffee and early morning wellness parties

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Many Austinites are ditching midnight bottle service for a new social scene happening before breakfast. Swapping cocktails for cold brews and hangovers for hydration, locals are feeling their best selves while having fun at "wellness parties".

Early morning coffee accompanied by a live DJ set and a variety of wellness activities is quickly emerging as the city's newest and most popular trend.

Where it all began

Coffee & Chill, started in Austin by co-founders Hallie Meland and Jack Zimmermann, and they have already hosted three wellness parties in Austin.

Their events celebrate early mornings, mindful movement, and community connection. It all began in Los Angeles, with two friends hosting coffee and cold plunge meetups for about 20 people in their backyards. Now, it has rapidly grown into gatherings across four cities, attracting over 300 guests.

"It is just natural, people are craving connection. They want all the social fun that they get from a nightlife experience, but they want to do it around wellness in the morning with a hot cup of coffee," Zimmermann said.

The three pillars these events follow are community, cold plunge, and coffee. The goal is to have guests complete the event completely sober, so you remember the connections you make and leave feeling the best version of yourself. The best part? All activities at each event are free to participate in — attendees simply need to purchase a $24 ticket to enter a Coffee & Chill event.

What's included at Coffee & Chill?

Coffee & Chill morning wellness parties start at 10 a.m. to noon. "So it's a quick, powerful, two-hour event," Meland said. Guests can expect a variety of wellness activities sponsored by local vendors.

The April event included coffee, matcha, hydration, cold plunges, mini facials, snack bar, recovery zone, chocolate treats, protein ice cream, non-alcoholic beverages, wellness supplements, and B12 shots.

Not only do guests get to indulge in the wellness of it all, but attending one of these wellness parties also allows an opportunity to explore the city. "One of the unique things about Coffee & Chill is that we use a new venue almost every single time, it keeps people on their toes, and it's a great way to support local venues and raise awareness," Meland said.

Plus, a live DJ at every wellness party!

While the cocktails are missed at these events, the music is not! At each Coffee & Chill event, there is a live DJ spinning energizing beats to get everyone pumped and ready to start their day the healthy way.

"It doesn't always have to be so strict whenever people are having a good time, and it's possible to have a good time without destroying your body," said KC Nkalari, known as DJ KCMeRollin.

KC has been DJing for four years in Austin and helped host April's Coffee & Chill event. KC said, "10 a.m. is the new 10 p.m." He has noticed guests swing by after their morning workouts to take advantage of all the recovery wellness opportunities while continuing to get pumped up for their days with his high-energy sets.

"We're rocking house music, might sneak in a little bit of disco, but a lot of the time we'll do anything from Afro beat up to, you know, just any electronic dance music," KC said.

Although the vibes are completely different at a Coffee & Chill event than at your everyday Sixth Street night club, KC says the dance moves he sees are very similar.

"When people are drinking coffee and matcha versus vodka, there is a lot of different energy, but for some reason, it is the same dance moves," KC said.

What is next for Coffee & Chill?

Co-founders Meland and Zimmermann said they're battling to keep up with the communities response to their wellness parties.

"We thought our first few events would be around 300 people, and our first one was, but we're only on our third event, and our next one, we're anticipating 800 to 1000 people," Meland said.

The Coffee & Chill team is continuing to work, create, and evolve the wellness scene in Austin, Texas. Zimmermann said he has noticed the crowd in Central Texas craves balance. A lot of Austinites still love their nightlife scene, but attending a wellness party on a Saturday morning provides that extra balance needed to keep up with a healthy lifestyle.

Zimmermann and Meland shared that there is much to come from Coffee & Chill for the near future. They encourage everyone to follow Coffee & Chill on socials, to keep up with future events.

"There are gonna be some opportunities to do some really large events, you know, around ACL or Formula One, or even South by Southwest," Zimmermann said.