Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael McMahon.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Honoring the Past While Building the Future: How Mike and Kim McMahon Are Helping Revitalize Downtown Cameron
For Mike and Kim McMahon, success is measured not solely in financial terms, but in the lives and communities they help strengthen. Married for more than 30 years and parents of three children who are now grown and on their own, the McMahons have reached a season of life where making a direct and meaningful impact matters most.
Mike spent more than two decades in the technology industry, beginning his career at Dell Computer, helping build CommVault Systems, and most recently contributing to the growth of Avere Systems into a respected enterprise data storage company that was ultimately acquired by Microsoft. Following the acquisition, he remained with Microsoft for three years, gaining experience inside one of the world’s most influential organizations. Yet when that chapter closed, Mike and Kim felt drawn toward a different calling—one rooted not in the zeros and ones of software, but in something more tangible, focused on buildings, people, and place.
In 2021, they turned their attention to Cameron, Texas, and its historic downtown. Many of the buildings, originally constructed in the late 1800s, had fallen into disrepair. Rather than replace them, the McMahons chose to honor them. They acquired six worn properties and began a careful restoration process designed to pay homage to the craftsmen and entrepreneurs who first built Cameron more than a century ago.
With the support of city and county leadership, each renovation was approached with intention—preserving architectural details, restoring original character, utilizing reclaimed materials, and returning the look and feel of the buildings to the era that made Cameron special. Their goal was not simply modernization, but revitalization: allowing today’s community to experience the same charm, pride, and authenticity that once defined the town.
Those once-forgotten spaces now house Cameron Coffee Co., ZX Texas Wine Bar and Boutique, The Studio Shops and Boutique, The Venue at Railfan, 1846 Grille, and the Old Antique Store. Together, they have become gathering places that inspire connection, entrepreneurship, and renewed confidence in the downtown district.
Mike and Kim remain deeply engaged with each business owner, offering mentorship, operational guidance, and steady encouragement. Through five years of personal investment and hands-on leadership, they have helped build sustainable businesses while restoring community pride.
By honoring Cameron’s past, the McMahons are helping build its future—transforming old walls into living stories and giving downtown a renewed sense of purpose, confidence, and hope for generations to enjoy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working in Tech for the past 20 years helping to build CommVault and Avere has been faced paced and extremely challenging. Doing the work downtown (Kim/I donate our time) has been similar. We thought it would be easier, but we work 6 days a week doing all we can to help. The main challenges we face are ensuring we respect what was built prior, but also modernize in a way that enables todays entrepreneurs to thrive. This takes nuanced thinking and execution. The downtown area has been quiet for many years as Cameron fell on hard times due to the closure of the Alcoa plant 20+ years ago. It’s taking time for people to realize what the downtown offers now and how the downtown is transitioning in a way that the towns people can enjoy. For example the Venue (built in 1886) is one of the finest most beautiful Venues in the area (we think it competes well with places in Austin). Kim/I own the Coffee Shop and we think it is second to none. ZX TX and The Studio feel like they should be in beautiful Fredericksburg.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Downtown Cameron has a railroad running right next to it. As such, we see numerous railfan’s that come to watch the trains, especially when an interesting locomotive is set to come through. As such, we named the Company Railfan Capital LLC. The purpose of the company is to utilize our time and resources to help rejuvenate downtown Cameron. The area we are developing is called The Railfan District. The main thing we want people to learn about Cameron is that it has a rich history, with Drayton McLane and the McLane company (sold to Walmart) Bob McClaren and the famous 44 Farms Ranch as well as the redevelopment of the downtown to include all of our buildings + the bakery + the Railroad Museum, Tex Miller, etc. Downtown Cameron is a wonderful place to stop when traveling through.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
The positive impact we provide for others, who then are positioned to do the same for others. Very much a pay it forward mindset.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cameron-coffee-company.square.site/
- Facebook: @cameroncoffeeco
Image Credits
I took these pics
