The sweet Oak Cliff staple CocoAndré Chocolatier & Horchateria, founded by mother-daughter duo Andrea and Cindy Pedraza, is back in business after a three-year closure, now in an expanded 5,000-square-foot space at 423 Centre St.
Their story began in 2009 after both women lost jobs during a recession. Andrea, who had worked in a chocolate factory for 25 years, teamed up with her daughter Cindy, who had construction experience, to build a cozy gathering place in their own neighborhood. They focused on artisan chocolates and traditional Mexican horchata, a sweet, creamy and spiced drink made from rice. In 2013, they moved the shop into a historic home on West Seventh Street, where they spent a decade establishing themselves as a Dallas mainstay.
By 2023, they they outgrew the West Seventh location and sold the building (now home to Italian bistro Pane Nostro) to prep for the next phase of CocoAndré. During the hiatus, they maintained wholesale chocolate operations and launched Olmo Market, a nearby coffee and gift shop on S. Edgefield Ave., run by Cindy's husband Armando Puente.
A building they had first eyed in 2013 became available earlier this year, and the pair jumped on it. The new Centre Street space houses their retail shop, production kitchen, and upstairs office. Designed with warm tones, natural textures and bright colors, featuring greenery and authentic Mexican pottery and art, the seating area and its signage invites guests to “enjoy their coffee and chocolate and stay a while.”
Lattes, horchata, and single-origin Mexican coffees are on CocoAndré’s new beverage menu. Photo Courtesy of CocoAndré
“Unlike our parents, many younger Hispanics did not grow up in Mexico, so we are looking for that connection to our roots — an homage to their country,” Cindy says. “We are trying to rebuild that connection here through our product and space.”
While handcrafted chocolates remain a cornerstone, this new chapter is notably coffee-forward. Alongside traditional espresso offerings, the menu highlights distinct Mexican and Latin American flavor profiles using ingredients like fruit, nuts, mazapán (a sugar and ground almond confection), and cinnamon.
Drinks start at $3 for espresso, and specialty drinks are under $6.75, with customer favorites including:
- Hibiscus Dream: Hibiscus tea topped with coconut matcha cream.
- Tres Leches: Mexican sponge cake-inspired latte paired with espresso, matcha, or horchata.
- La Bandera: Strawberry matcha layered over milk or horchata.
- Canelita: Brown sugar and cinnamon latte served with espresso, matcha, or horchata.
A light food program featuring bagels and small charcuterie plates is set to launch in October.
The relocated shop features 18 of its original 27 chocolate flavors. Top-selling truffles include strawberry passion fruit, raspberry lavender, and Amarena cherry in dark chocolate, as well as blood orange and toasted coconut in milk chocolate.
Retail offerings also include chocolate bars, Texas-themed shapes, and colorful calaveritas (little skulls), which they started selling for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and have become a signature chocolate product.
Seasonal treats include chocolate ghost pops.Photo courtesy of CocoAndré
CocoAndré sources single-origin coffee from farms in Chiapas, Mexico — a region the Pedrazas originally visited for cacao sourcing.
“We went and learned from farmers there many times. It was incredible to meet the women keeping these cacao farms going,” Cindy says. “It confirms we’re on the right path: Mexican women farmers partnering with Mexican female entrepreneurs like us.”
The Chiapas beans are imported and custom-roasted by Austin-based importer Mercado Sin Nombre, a small business that aligns with CocoAndré's mission to champion Mexican agriculture and heritage.
CocoAndré is open 10 am-5 pm Friday, 11 am-5 pm Saturday, 12-5 pm Sunday. The owners say they'll begin operating Tuesday-Sunday in October.
A Grand Opening is scheduled for September 26, from 12-5 pm, and will feature live folkloric music, a complimentary build-your-own flower booth with El Rancho Market, donation-based portraits, artisanal crafts and clothing for sale, and giveaways for the first 25 guests.
Frita, a Cuban-style burger. Photo by Noah Fecks