A new coffee shop is opening this fall on Garland Road with a mission that goes far beyond supplying neighbors with their daily dose of caffeine.
Husband and wife duo Michael and Natalie Huscheck plan to open Well Grounded Coffee Community at 9219 Garland Road.
The coffee shop is partnering with Exodus Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit, to provide formerly incarcerated women with jobs.
“Michael and I are just coffee freaks,” Natalie said. “The other part of our hearts loves building community and giving second chances. We want to show them what healthy community looks like.”
Although Exodus Ministries is the couple’s first partnership, they hope to collaborate with other organizations and expand in the future.
“We’d love for [the women] to work their way up and work us out of a job,” Natalie said. “Then maybe we’ll do another.”
Well Grounded is the latest in a series of mission-driven restaurants to open in Dallas. Last year, La La Land Kind Cafe opened on Lower Greenville and provides jobs for foster kids aging out of the system. Cafe Momentum also offers internships to students who have been released from juvenile detention.
“We’re not necessarily striving to be different,” Natalie said. “We’re striving to be more of the same good.”
Well Grounded Coffee is partnering with Full City Rooster to provide a full coffee menu. The Huschecks also visited White Rock Coffee to learn about its newest espresso machine and will have the same line at their shop.
“We spared no expense on coffee and equipment,” Michael said. “There was a coffee shop in there before, and we had the opportunity to use that equipment, but we didn’t. That’s because we’ve spoiled ourselves over the years. It’ll be the best place to go for coffee.”
The shop won’t have a commercial kitchen, but it will cater pastries — with gluten-free options — as well as soups, salads and sandwiches.
Remodeling of the 1,600-square-foot space will likely begin next week. The modern atmosphere will be punctuated with throwbacks from Highland Park Cafeteria that the Huschecks purchased at the auction of the 95-year-old eatery after it closed in May.
A soft opening is scheduled for early November with a grand opening planned before Thanksgiving. In the meantime, the Huschecks hope to meet neighbors by giving away free coffee beginning Oct. 5. Coffee samples will be available from 8-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
