Coffee News
New Carrollton coffee shop lets customers peer behind the curtain
A behind-the-scenes roaster has come into the spotlight: Parks Coffee debuts its first retail storefront, coffee shop, and cafe near the intersection of I-35 and George Bush Turnpike at 1401 MacArthur Dr. in Carrollton.
The cafe is open daily from 6:30 am-6:30 pm, and serves espresso drinks and coffee beverages, from lattes to cold brew, along with canned and bottled drinks. There are also panini sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, croissants, and more, supplied by Bird bakery, plus home-brewing equipment and merchandise such as T-shirts.
According to a release, Randy Parks founded the company to deliver third-party gourmet coffee and equipment to office break rooms across North Texas. Also according to a release, he expanded in 2003 with the purchase of a roaster and began roasting beans. Thank heavens for releases.
Google reviewers like Parks' beverages, baristas, and the attentive service. That information did not come from a release.
In addition to coffee and related equipment, Parks also offers filtered water and ice equipment, break room and janitorial supplies, and in-office vending. Parks Pantry micro-markets bring salads, sandwiches, and snacks to offices in several locations.
Parks currently serves businesses in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, and Louisiana.
They opened the cafe on the ground floor of their new headquarters where they roast more than 10 million pounds of coffee per year.
The ability to peek behind-the-scenes is one of things that makes Parks unique. Customers can watch the roasting through a window inside the cafe.
There are tours of the entire operation, which end with a tasting that pairs three types of coffee with sweet artisanal treats from local companies, including Sublime Chocolate, La Casita, and Bird bakery.
The shop serves not only as an outpost for coffee consumers but also as a kind of lab for the company, and has a bit of a lab-type feel, with display windows and cheery company-store colors.
