A new coffee shop dedicated to emo subculture is coming to Deep Ellum: Called CoffeEmos, the new shop will open in April at 3114 Swiss Ave. in the former Urban Venue space.
The shop is from Francisco Gonzalez, who describes himself as an emo fan for the past two decades. Now older, with a family and a career in finance, he still has given up the emo "look" but still has a love for the music.
Emo music, which was born in the 90s and combines hardcore punk with emotional lyrics, created an emo look with distinct fashion, including skinny jeans, black eyeliner, studded belts and black hair with long bangs, typically over the forehead and partially covering the eyes.
This subculture seems to be making a comeback driven by Gen Z nostalgia, which inspired Gonzalez to pay tribute to his passion and invite others to join.
“When you go to a coffee shop, you think you’ll find chill music. I do better, with pop-punk and emo music," Gonzalez says. "Music brings that high energy along with coffee. I had this idea of the coffee shop for people like me that want this kind of music."
Choosing Deep Ellum was a no-brainer, he says, thanks to its strong presence of artists, fashion boutiques, and live shows. While CoffeEmos will be open from 7am to 3 pm daily, Gonzalez envisions future late-night events such as meet-and-greets and special shows.
CoffeEmos will host live entertainment.Photo courtesy of CoffeEmos
The shop will use beans from Richardson-based Eiland Coffee Roasters. The menu will feature classic coffee drinks with catchy emo names such as “espresso depresso,” “caPUNKcino,” “flat white and black,” “cut up cortado,” and “morbid mocha.”
The specialty drink list features names from well-known emo songs including:
- “The Ghost of You” (by Chemical Romance): Banana horchata latte.
- “If It Means a Lot to You” (by A Day to Remember): Salter caramel horchata latte.
- "Ocean Avenue" (by YellowCard): Mango matcha lemonade.
- "Hear You Me" (by Jimmy Eat World): Lavender London fog.
Specialty lattes range from $6 to $8 and come with a QR code to download the corresponding song.
They are working with local food vendors to create a grab-and-go and handhelds menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (when they host evening events).
The space will feature tables and chairs along a brick wall, and a stage for live entertainment. Some of the walls were intentionally left bare to allow artists to collaborate with visuals, Gonzalez says.
“I am looking for people that make this store their own,” he says.
There’s a “wall of memories” where guests can add old IDs from their emo-fringe days, plus a front outdoor space and a larger turfed back patio that will host shows when it opens later this year.
“I don’t want this music to die again," Gonzalez says. "Music has been a great help for me through my life, and I wish the same for new generations."
