A new bakery-restaurant has opened in Richardson that expands the vegan dining scene in exciting new ways. Reverie Bakeshop, which opened on Coit Road near Campbell, comes from Nancy Castillo and Racene Mendoza, two former cake decorators who've launched their very own place.
They're baking cupcakes, doughnuts, Danish pastries, cookies, cakes, cheesecakes and even croissants, all vegan, and many gluten-free. They're also offering a few panini at lunch, plus drip coffee with beans from Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters.
Castillo and Mendoza, who used Kickstarter to help launch their business, did a lot of the blood-sweat-and-tears labor on the bakery themselves. As preparation, Castillo attended Le Cordon Bleu and learned the ropes of the bakery business by working at local bakers such as Tu-Lu's and Petit Fours.
"We're a good partnership," Castillo says. "I'm vegan, but Racene isn't, so she makes sure the menu stays accessible for everyone. We were a little hesitant that people might not accept a vegan bakery but the response has been amazing."
They've developed all their own recipes including gluten-free sandwiches. "It's a small selection but we wanted to have something beyond the sweets," Castillo says. "One of the sandwiches has mock chicken with spinach and chipotle 'cream cheese' spread. There's another that’s kind of like a BLT, but we make it with kale instead of lettuce. There's a lot more things we want on our menu but we're still experimenting with it."
As for their location, they chose that carefully.
"We started looking at Richardson after we found out that Alamo Drafthouse was opening here," Castillo says. "There's Spiral Diner downtown and Kalachandji's, but there's not enough stuff in the center."
They're also open longer hours than the usual bakery that opens at 10 or 11 am.
"We open at 8 am Monday through Saturday," Castillo says. "I don't like when bakeries don't open early. We want to be there for people first thing in the morning."
Reverie Bakeshop sandwich cookies.
