Coffee shop industry ignored these areas. So Fort Worth entrepreneurs started their own

For years, specialty coffee in Fort Worth was limited to Magnolia Avenue, downtown or South Main Street. But a few businesses have broadened its reach.

Black Coffee was first to open its doors in 2019 in Fort Worth’s east side, a historically Black community with a rising Hispanic population in recent years. Owner Mia Moss said she wanted east side residents to have a welcoming and comfortable place to meet that wasn’t a highway away.

In November last year, Casa Azul Coffee followed by example and made its mark on the traditionally Hispanic north side. The shop claims Hispanic and Latino culture as its own with the art it showcases and nostalgic flavors it blends.

The owners told the Star-Telegram that their norm-defying coffee shops set an example for other potential entrepreneurs to start businesses in their own communities.

Creating Value

Across the street from Texas Wesleyan University and east of Polytechnic High School, Black Coffee is an east side exclusive, a front door sign said.

The exterior is painted black with a mural of angel wings and the city skyline with the words Create Change on top. The inside has black walls, making a canvas for another brightly colored mural.

Owner Mia Moss loved art as much as she loved coffee. The design of the space and its menu offerings are as much a representation of her as the love of her community, Moss said.

Her family’s love for taking their coffee black inspired the name, she said.

“I grew up on this side of town and so it really is home,” Moss said. “I know it. I know the people. I’ve seen the change in the community and the decline.”

Moss lives a few streets from the shop, and before it existed she would have to drive far to meet for coffee.

“You do see an eclectic group of people going to coffee shops, but what I noticed is when I would go to local coffee shops with my husband, we would literally have to get on the freeway ... and that doesn’t make sense,” she said.

East of Interstate 35W there are massive chains that sell coffee, like McDonald’s, gas stations or even a few local bakeries, but hardly any specialty coffee shops.

Part of her love of coffee includes the experience of the space in which it is sold. Moss said she wanted to create a meeting space for people in the east side.

She wanted a “nice space on the east side of town because you don’t see that often,” she said.

For Moss, investing in her community brings value to it.

“It’s just important for me to show the people that actually live in the community that there is value here, and that if they want to open up businesses, they don’t have to go to the other side of town,” Moss said.

Black Coffee’s clientele is a mix of east side residents and people driving from all parts of the city. When the shop first opened residents weren’t sure what it was about, but Moss said they’ve now built a strong network of regular customers who live down the street.

Moss said it was a priority for her to give back.

“Because we’re in a underserved community ... it just wouldn’t be right to come in expecting to get and not give,” Moss said.

Black Coffee regularly hosts drives for local charities. Since opening, it has collected canned goods and school supplies for families in need among other materials. Moss said she plans to start collecting water bottles next after hearing a need from the homeless.

For other minority business owners hoping to start a business in their communities, Moss said not to hesitate.

“You’re not on what people would deem as a nice side or popular side of town. But there is value in the community, and once you open that business people are going to value it even more,” she said.

‘A place that reflects who we are’

Just behind Northside Drive, Casa Azul Coffee stands out among other houses on the street, aptly painted like the name suggests in a loud shade of royal blue.

“My dad offered us cash to not paint it that color of blue,” co-owner Anette Landeros said with a laugh.

The inside welcomes customers with Latin music hits: classic Salsa or moder day reggaeton. And a limited menu offers pan dulce, Mexican sweet bread, and a range of Latino flavored drinks. The name and the color of the outside was inspired by artist Frida Kahlo’s own blue house in Mexico City.

“Those are the things that we knew growing up, and that’s what makes us feel good,” Landeros said. “It was exciting to build a place that reflects who we are very proudly.”

Landeros said her and husband and co-founder Joseph Landeros long recognized a dearth of coffee shops in the north side. But Landeros said they were met with some hesitation when presenting the idea.

“Some folks were like, ‘Everyone just gets their coffee at QT or whatever, and they’re not going to pay double,’” Landeros said. “There was a lot of assumptions, and I hate when people make assumptions about a community.”

But the assumptions haven’t proved true, Landeros said.

“We can tell and we know that the north side is patroning our coffee shop,” Landeros said. “They proved everybody wrong.”

Landeros said the assumptions were based on beliefs about what lower income neighborhoods would be willing to pay for.

“I feel like there’s probably a misconception that coffee is like a luxury that only certain demographics enjoy.” Landeros said. “I think Casa Azul and Black Coffee have kind of broken that because we’ve gone into neighborhoods where, let’s face it, Starbucks probably wouldn’t go for a while.”

“I think that coffee is more than a luxury,” Landeros said. “It’s more just a treat. It’s a moment. It’s something you can [share] with your family or friends.”

Landeros attributes Casa Azul’s success to the fact that it’s Latino owned and that it also claims Latino culture as its own.

The co-owners often see families with every generation represented visiting the shop for a cup of coffee.

“Had we designed a really sleek, expensive-looking place, that might have been intimidating,” she said. “We know that because we all have abuelitas and they don’t like to go places where they feel intimidated.”

The furniture is second-hand and mismatched, the pastry menu is stripped back and familiar to the community and the drinks turn classic flavors like mazapan and churros into lattes.

Landeros’ husband Joseph spent two years developing a business plan, and Landeros said she recommends other minority business owners do the same. Having a solid base will help win over potential funders, she said.

“It does take doing the homework that is required if you’re trying to get funding,” she said.

The co-owners are continuing to develop the space, adding a new bright pink sign in June and collaborating with a Fort Worth area Mexican-American artist for a new piece to feature in the shop. They also plan to add a swing to the patio and add more kid-friendly features to the grassy lawn next to the building.