UPDATE 1-27-2020: La Casita Bakeshop will open on February 8, at 580 W. Arapaho Rd., #230 in Richardson. The storefront will observe limited hours: every Saturday from 9 am to 12 noon. Their menu will include croissants, cruffins, hand pies, cakes, scones, and breads. Their opening menu has been posted on Facebook.

----------------------

A superb bakery that's been doing wholesale baking and the occasional pop-up is finally making it official: La Casita Bakeshop, which has been the secret supplier of fabulous croissants, muffins, and scones to restaurants and coffee shops such as Cultivar Coffee and Tribal Cafe, will be opening a storefront in Richardson.

Maricsa Trejo, who owns La Casita with her boyfriend and partner, Alex Henderson, confirms that they'll be making that big next step with a retail outlet where customers will be able to come in and buy pastries in a predictable location and at reliable hours.

The couple found a conveniently located space at the intersection of US-75 and Arapaho Road and will open for business by mid-January.

"We're just getting bigger, and with the new year, it seemed like the right time," Trejo says.

Since founding their bakery concept in 2017, the couple has operated as a wholesale business, rather than opening a retail operation. They rented out a commercial kitchen where they produced cinnamon rolls, muffins, and cruffins, that trendy cross between a croissant and a muffin.

As wholesalers, they would go in at midnight and work all night, then make deliveries in the morning to more than 20 shops around town including Cultivar Coffee, Overeasy at the Statler Dallas hotel, Tribal Cafe, The Merchant, Parks Coffee, Mokah Coffee, Brewed, Shayna's Place, Black and Bitter Coffee, Stupid Good Coffee, and Rosalind Coffee in Garland.

But in 2019, they took baby steps towards a retail operation via monthly pop-ups at locations such as Parks Coffee in Carrollton. Their most recent pop-up was a smashing holiday-themed event at the Arboretum.

They've already moved into their space, and have been fixing up the front with a cozy just-like-home quality. "That's what we want people to feel, like they're at our house — mainly due to the fact that we used some furnishings from our house," Trejo says.

They'll sell their trademark pastries out of the shop, but will also expand into breads, sandwiches, and more.

Trejo honed her skills working with acclaimed pastry chefs in New York and bakers in Portland, Oregon, and makes some of the best pastries in the area. Their croissants boast interiors with the perfect "honeycomb" configuration that indicates a well-made croissant.

Their goods are also highly inventive. Where else can you find a "Thanksgiving dinner croissant" filled with a slice of turkey, green beans, and cranberry sauce? Other recent inventions have included baklava croissants, rosewater coconut cream croissants, and spinach feta scones.

Having the permanent space will also allow for another meaningful expansion beyond sweet treats: the all important category of bread.

"We hope to take on more this year with cakes, pastries — and hopefully bread," Trejo says.