A new coffee shop in Deep Ellum has opened with a different-than-expected name: Drugstore Cowboy. This is the place at 2721 Main St., in the old Deep End space, whose original plan was to go by the name Lead Belly.
The shop comes from Emma Saperstein, plus brothers Toby Wright and Matthew Madison. It's a combination coffeehouse-bar, serving coffee and espresso drinks plus a menu of composed cocktails and some cafe-style snacks.
The name change came about because of protests by the Lead Belly foundation, but Saperstein says that they're just as happy with the new moniker.
"We understand their concerns, and we think the name Drugstore Cowboy is fun," she says. "It's given us license to change our programming and do some fun things with the menu."
That includes reconfiguring the drinks menu with a "restorative" theme, such as the "corpse reviver" with cognac, calvados, and gin. That said, they're also doing some of the coffee-themed cocktails they planned all along, such as a cocktail combining bourbon with cold brew coffee.
The beans for their espresso drinks come from Cultivar, which also provided baristas and training; the espresso machine is a trophy La Marzocco. For cold-brew coffee and drip, they're using Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters.
They've done a spiffy remodel and have big plans for community and cultural events, beginning with a State of the Union watch party on January 12, a David Bowie-themed night on January 14, and a grand opening on January 16.
"We'll have live music and special activities, including print-your-own T-shirts," she says. "It's going to be crazy."
