Tea at Taschen

The Joule offers tony afternoon tea service alternative in downtown Dallas

Sometimes you just need to duck out of the office on a Friday afternoon, and The Joule is giving Dallasites another, more refined option for playing hooky with its new afternoon tea service.

As of September 26, the hotel’s Taschen Library, just off the lobby near TenOverSix and Weekend, is offering champagne afternoon tea service on Fridays at 2:30 pm. Imagine snacking on goat cheese on brioche with cucumber, basil cream and crispy prosciutto and sipping rare tea blends while surrounded by midcentury mosaics and beautiful coffee-table tomes.

“Because The Joule lobby is already such a naturally communal environment, we wanted to offer a really special experience within it,” says Joule general manager Justin Fields. “The Taschen Library proved to be the perfect little nook for something a bit more intimate.”

Joule executive chef Jaco Smith and executive pastry chef Ruben Torano devised the menu, which will change seasonally. Savory treats may include ham mousse eclairs and deviled egg sandwiches; sweet options could be huckleberry buckle or berry layer cake.

In addition to champagne, guests can enjoy Freak of Nature Oolong, 2001 Vintage Oak Barrel-Aged Pu-Erh and Moonlight Jasmine Blossom teas.

We envision this as a way to entertain out-of-town guests, spend time with girlfriends or wrap up a business meeting (if you must still work). Regardless of the company, it’s not a bad way to start the weekend, and this has a different vibe than downtown neighbor The Adophus, which is known for its afternoon tea service.

“We thought Friday would be a great day as people close down their work week and are ready to relax or even celebrate something special,” Fields says. “If it’s as popular as we think it will be, I have a feeling we’ll be hosting private events there quite often.”

Tea at Taschen is $59 a person, inclusive of taxes, gratuity and valet. During the tea, guests receive 10 percent off purchases in the library. Seating is communal and limited to 16 people. Reservations can be made by calling 214-748-1300 x4363 or emailing tea@thejouledallas.com.

Tea is served communal style in the Taschen Library at The Joule.

Photo courtesy of Taschen Library

Tea is served communal style in the Taschen Library at The Joule.

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Beverage News

McDonald's closes CosMc's beverage spinoff including Dallas locations

Photo courtesy of CosMc's

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McDonald's is shutting down its CosMc's beverage spinoff, including the two locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, at 861 W. Stacy Rd. in Allen, and at 5341 McPherson Blvd. in Fort Worth.

According to a statement from McDonald's, in late June they'll be closing all five stand-alone pilot CosMc’s locations on a rolling basis and discontinuing the CosMc’s app. Their website puts the date at June 23. Now is the time to grab that last churro latte.

The closedowns also include two locations in San Antonio, at 12360 FM 1957 and 8726 Potranco Rd., plus a location in Illinois.

CosMc's is McDonald's beverage-led concept which it was testing heavily in Texas, debuting in March 2024 with a location at 6033 Campbell Rd. in Dallas.

The concept had a menu of sweet-and-snazzy drinks like Sour Cherry Energy Burst, Churro Cold Brew Frappé, and the Island Pick-Me-Up Punch, which seemed to be in competition with Swig, the drive-through drink chain founded in Utah in 2010. Beyond beverages, there were also a few sandwiches: Spicy Queso with sausag; Creamy Avocado Tomatillo with bacon; and Egg McMuffins plus pretzel bites, hash browns, and desserts.

They went on to open six more locations, all in Texas: two in San Antonio and four in DFW.

In January, they shifted their gameplan, closing three of the larger locations and putting a focus on smaller footprint stores, stating at that time that "we learned that the smaller format stores allow us to test new, unique circumstances that are reflective of our customer base," with a plan to open two new smaller format stores in Texas in 2025.

That included the location in Allen, which they opened in February. However, they never opened another store.

According to a statement on the closure, the stores were a "learning lab" that allowed them to test new flavors and different technologies and processes – without impacting the existing McDonald’s experience.

Based on the insights gained from the pilot standalone locations, CosMc’s-inspired flavors will be landing at McDonald’s as part of an upcoming U.S. beverage test.

"With our new dedicated category team focused on beverages, we know we can bring more delicious and innovative drinks to more fans," the statement says.

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