Dallas-based Ascension Coffee, which just won Coffee Shop of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards, will open its first location in Southlake.
According to a spokesperson, the shop will open in late summer or early fall at Southlake Town Square, at 100 State St., in a 4,223-square-foot space previously occupied by Corner Bakery. This will be their seventh location and their second in Tarrant County, following a shop that opened in Fort Worth at West Bend in 2020.
The Southlake café will feature Ascension’s specialty coffee program, rooted in small-batch roasting and partnerships with producers around the world. This includes their commitment to supporting women-led farms, and investing in producer relationships that prioritize livable wages and economic resilience.
It will feature a full espresso bar, seasonal coffee flights, and a lineup of rotating single-origin coffees from global producers. They roast their beans at their in-house roastery in Dallas' Design District, and sell the beans in the cafés and online.
They also offer a serious tea and beverage selection with unique offerings like iced nitro Earl Grey tea topped with salted rose cold foam, and fresh lemonade with violet syrup. Plus a full bar with wine, beer, and cocktails including three kinds of espresso martinis, which can be ordered separately or in a flight.
They serve breakfast and brunch with dishes such as migas, steak hash, pancakes, overnight oats, and pastries. Lunch options include the Latin chicken & grain bowl, Mediterranean chicken naan, and an Asian noodle bowl with chicken, soba noodles, kale, roasted peppers, cucumber, and avocado in a red pepper-miso vinaigrette.
Ascension has always served food in addition to coffee, dating back to its early days when it first debuted in Dallas' Design District in 2012. But they've stepped up the café component in recent years, both in breadth and quality. That includes partnerships with top-quality purveyors such as croissants from Fort Worth's Black Rooster Bakery, and bagels from award-winning Starship Bagel.
Ascension was originally founded by Russell Hayward, a native of Australia, a country well-known for its coffee obsessiveness. The current CEO and president is Jessica Keenan, a certified Q Arabica Coffee Grader who oversees green coffee purchases for Ascension as well as managing quality assurance.
Keenan joined Ascension in 2021, as did culinary director Jason Connelly, who oversees food and drink. He was previously executive chef at the Adolphus and before that, worked at numerous Marriott properties.
In a statement, Keenan says that their goal is "to bring a thoughtful coffee experience that complements the energy of Town Square and offers neighbors another place to gather and connect.”
