A new coffee shop in Grapevine comes with a little extra jolt, including an owner who's a former Dallas Cowboy. Redefined Coffee House, which opened May 9 on Main Street, counts Kenyon Coleman among its partners.
These days, Coleman is a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints. But his partners, Jorik and Catherine Blom, are manning the coffee machines.
The Bloms have an interesting history of their own. Jorik, a native of South Africa, had experience in the hospitality industry as a former bartender at restaurants and nightclubs around the world. The couple moved here from California with their two children and met Coleman through a mutual friend.
"Kenyon wanted to do a coffee shop, but he didn't have the background," Jorik says.
They took over a space that used to be a function room for the Back Porch Tavern next door. Kenyon's wife did the interior design, dividing the space into living room-type areas that encourage customers to hang out. "She had the vision for how to lay it out, the décor, the whole feel, and was instrumental in what we ended up with," Jorik says.
The Bloms did an "internship" with Fort Worth's Avoca Coffee. "They shared their coffee knowledge and background," Jorik says. "We worked closely with them, we carry their coffee and we'll work together in the future on developing menus."
The current menu consists of beverages and snacks. In addition to coffee, they offer more than a dozen iced teas — "shaken not stirred," says this former bartender. "Shaking aerates it." Snacks include vegan and gluten-free cupcakes and pastries, plus chocolates, bagels, kolaches and a special item: vegan soba noodles.
"In our strip here, we have Bikram yoga and a nutrition store, so there's a lot of health-conscious people in the area," he says. "We want to be part of that, where you can go to yoga and get something healthy afterwards. You don't need sugars and sweeteners and cream if it's a quality product."
Redefined is big on a spirit of community. "That's the name, to redefine community and your environment," he says.
Redefined Coffee in Grapevine has mochas and latte art.
