Kolache News

Houston's Kolache Shoppe opens first Dallas-area bakery in Celina

Kolaches and coffee at Kolache Shoppe.

Kolache Shoppe

A Texas kolache institution is headed to DFW: Kolache Shoppe, a family-owned bakery from Houston that's served scratch-made Texas-Czech kolaches and coffee since 1970, is opening a bakery in Celina — specifically the Celina Station shopping center at 605 S. Preston Rd., #100.

According to a release, this will be the fourth Kolache Shoppe and the first in the Dallas Metro area. It'll open in fall 2023.

UPDATE 2-12-2024: Kolache Shoppe is now open in Celina, serving kolaches and espresso.
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Kolache Shoppe is a long-time Houston favorite thanks to its sweet and savory kolaches, using an original recipe from 1970.

They have two dozen signature flavors such as apricot, poppy seed, apple, sausage, egg & cheese, brisket, and venison sausage, plus monthly specials on weekends, and a full-service espresso bar with beans from Houston roaster Geva Coffee.

Celina is a franchised location led by husband-and-wife team Jake and Courtney Poulsen, along with Courtney’s parents, Gary and Cindy Mechler of College Station, in partnership with Kolache Shoppe owners Lucy and Randy Hines.

Jake's background includes business leadership and restaurant management, and Courtney is a former middle school teacher. Both are enthusiastic about the opportunity that a Kolache Shoppe franchise provides to invest in themselves, grow something for their family, and serve the community.

“Celina has a great historic square that’s been there for more than a hundred years,” says Courtney. “They have activities all the time, and the community comes out for all of it. Kolache Shoppe is a very community- and family-oriented business, so it fits really well. We love being involved in the community and are excited to play a role in Celina by providing a quick and delicious breakfast option.”

The Celina bakery will comprise 1558 square feet with a fresh, nostalgic feel, featuring signature design elements such as a blue-and-white motif, wood pastry cases and espresso bar, and a Texas mural with iconic Celina landmarks.

In addition to counter service, a drive-thru window will allow for quick grab-and-go ordering and pre-order pickups of pastries and specialty coffee drinks. The bakery will also have a few seats inside and on a small patio.

Randy and Lucy Hines took over the first Kolache Shoppe from founding operator Erwin Ahrens in 2014. They modernized the bakery while honoring its legacy, then launched a franchise program in 2018.

The Hines and Poulsens are long-time acquaintances: Lucy and Courtney have been friends since middle school. Courtney met Jake, who hails from Knoxville, Tenn., while the two attended Texas A&M University. They live in Frisco with their four children and are active community members.

Courtney has childhood memories of eating kolaches while Jake discovered them in college.

"We didn't have kolaches in east Tennessee, but I've always been a fan of pastries and baking, so it was cool to discover something new and distinctly Texan," Jake says. "I've loved them ever since I got here."

breakfast openings

Chocolate News

Richardson dessert shop Chocolate Drip lays out eye-catching treats

Chocolate Drip

Chocolate bear with pistachio sauce at Chocolate Drip

A dessert shop in Richardson has become the toast of the sweets world: Called Chocolate Drip, it opened in August at 1057 S. Sherman St., in a center east of US-75 near Spring Valley Road, where it's rolling out some eye-catching chocolate treats.

Chocolate Drip is a passion project from Mohammad Quzmar, a Palestinian-born owner who moved to Dallas four years ago and taught himself to cook through tinkering. That experimentation has translated into a constantly evolving menu, with new creations appearing whenever inspiration strikes — earning him a growing reputation as something of a modern-day Willy Wonka.

"Chocolate is my passion. I just love being in the kitchen and creating,” he says.

The cafe's offerings are extensive, from sweet breakfast staples like pancakes and waffles to off-menu items teased on the café’s Instagram, such as the Dubai Drip platter — an interactive fondue plate with fruit, brownies, waffles, marshmallows, to be dipped into melted chocolate and pistachio cream.

Many of his items have the kind of eye-catching twists and table-side presentations that draw attention on Instagram, such as the cruffle (a waffle made from a croissant) topped with spaghetti-like strands of gelato, which a server extrudes through a potato ricer right before your eyes.

Other signatures include a teddy bear made of chocolate mousse and kanafa, finished with pistachio sauce for $13.30, and crepes filled with a brownie, with pistachio and chocolate sauce for $15.

Prices are not cheap but these are ultra-decadent items with generous portions, often meant for sharing.

The drink list is ambitious, spanning coffee, matcha, smoothies, milkshakes, and nonalcoholic mocktails. It's obvious Quzmar is having fun, rolling out his versions of viral items like the famous s'mores hot chocolate pioneered by New York dessert shop Glace, which features a cap made of marshmallow meringue that’s torched and topped with a chocolate bonbon.

There are also a few savory offerings like egg-and-cheese crepes, a salmon croissant, and a turkey waffle. Those in the know also come to order Middle Eastern treats like salab, a creamy milk drink topped with cinnamon; and Om Ali, a sugary pudding with nuts, dried fruit, and coconut.

Named after the Gen Z slang for “cool” or “stylish,” Drip is meant to be a hangout spot more than a quick dessert stop, Quzmar says — a place to linger over brunch, then return late night to a place that feels buzzy and fun sans alcohol.

“Everyone who works here is either family or treated like family and everything is homemade with love," he says.

desserts openings