Salt mines
Shop portion of Obzeet Cafe moves out and up, with new name and concept
UPDATE: The restaurant portion of Obzeet Cafe will move to 18910 Preston Rd.
After 20 years as one of Dallas' most fun and funky spots, Obzeet Cafe will close this spring. But no worries. The longtime restaurant-shop combo will resurface in a new space up the street at 17606 Preston Rd., with a new name: Lekka.
"Lekka is the South African word for everything awesome, groovy, amazing, tasty," says co-owner Lynne Kirschenbaum. "The landlord sold the property where we are now to a gas station. But we're already under construction on our new location, and we're excited about having a new name and a new concept. It'll be exactly the same as it is right now but updated and newer and more cool."
"Lekka is the South African word for everything awesome, groovy, amazing, tasty," says co-owner Lynne Kirschenbaum.
They hope to be ready by April 1, says manager Julia Sprenger, who worked at the shop in the mid-'90s when it first opened and there were lines out the door. Things have leveled off, but its eclectic atmosphere remains a draw.
"In the first place, it doesn't look like Dallas at all," she says. "It's funky, more like Austin. And the combination between a store and a place where you can eat and have an outdoor space, people love that."
The store sells decorative items from all over the world, from Indonesia to Italy. It's known for its huge selection of salt products, especially Himalayan salt lamps, which are believed to help remove allergens and pollutants.
"They're not only pretty, but pink salt is supposed to be healthy for you," Sprenger says. "The light inside activates the salt and purifies the air. It's fabulous for people with allergies and asthma."
The restaurant will retain its menu of coffee drinks, sandwiches, salads and appetizers, but there are plans to hire a pastry chef and expand the in-house bakery's already significant selection of desserts beyond trademarks like the Key lime pie.
One of the most complicated tasks in the relocation will be moving the massive collection of glass.
"We have two walls full of beautiful plates, two chandeliers that look like they belong at the Bellagio, and a tree lit with thousands of LEDs," Sprenger says."When you walk in, it looks like you're walking into Chihuly land."