A hidden-gem coffee shop has opened inside a Dallas art store: Called Happening Cafe, it's nestled within Dallas Art Supply, at 623 Fort Worth Ave., in Oak Cliff.
The small coffee space is designed to enhance the retail experience inside the creative, women-owned shop, which operates out of a repurposed vintage gas station. Patrons can now browse professional-grade oil paints, watercolor blocks, and unique stationery with an espresso in hand.
Dallas Art Supply is the retail arm of Oil & Cotton, an art studio, workshop space, and creative hub founded in 2010 by Shannon Driscoll and Kayli House, located a few blocks down on Beatrice Street. The shop moved to its current spot on Fort Worth Avenue in late 2024 for street visibility.
The owners say they introduced Happening Cafe to help fuel the neighborhood's artistic spirit with the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee.
Dallas Art Supply features a unique selection of art tools for all skill levels.Photo courtesy of Happening Cafe
“We were inspired by the ‘60’s countercultural movement with stores playing with commerce as art,” House says. “Art supplies can be intimidating, coffee is not.”
The shop serves drinks make with a La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machine and beans from local Full City Roasters. Their menu includes espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, teas and matchas, ranging from $2 to $6, and a few grab-and-go healthy snacks such as granola bars and beef jerky.
Guests can sip while they shop.Photo courtesy of Happening Cafe
“We are hoping it can evolve the coffee shop to a truck trailer, eventually plant roots somewhere,” Driscoll says.
The addition of Happening Cafe to the retail space at Dallas Art Supply follows a growing trend in Dallas with built-in cafés or bars in retail stores. Hey Konẽko opened Good Boy Cafe in 2023, bookstores Read Shop in Dallas and Daydream in Arlington both have coffee offerings for visitors, and Outpost Fine Goods added a bar where people can enjoy a drink while shopping.
“Retail alone can’t make it; every retail store has something going on,” Driscoll says.
The coffee shop fills a neighborhood need for caffeine while naturally inviting patrons to linger, browse, and connect inside the shop, which caters to everyone from novice hobbyists to professional studio artists.
The owners opened Happening Cafe quietly.
“It is a sleepy little thing and we like that,” House says.
Both Happening Cafe and Dallas Art Supply are open 10 am-6 pm Tuesday-Saturday.
Coach Coffee Shop will sell Stumptown coffee beansCourtesy