Espumoso, new coffee spot with Latin touch, comes to Dallas’ Bishop Arts district

by Teresa Gubbins

Cappuccinos and cafe con leches, and smoothies, too.

DALLAS — Bishop Arts, a neighborhood without a dedicated coffee shop ever since the abrupt closure of Nodding Dog, is without a dedicated coffee shop no more: Espumoso Coffee & Juice Bar, a coffee and smoothie place with sweet little Latin touches, opened in the spot previously occupied by Papa Danny's Ice Cream (and before that, Suenos Sabrosos). Look, it's on Bishop Avenue, OK?

The menu of coffee drinks includes espresso, cafe con leche, lattes, and cappuccinos. Smoothies are made with what owner Tony Fernandez describes as "a variety of Amazonian and tropical fruits including acai, borojo, curuba, guanabana, guarana, lulo, and maracuya", a.k.a. passion fruit. He gets his coffee from Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, while some of his pastries are made by his mom.

"We have a unique concept that’s more like a Latin fusion-based coffeehouse where we have a lot of baked goodies and Latin coffees," Fernandez says. "We sell empanadas that are baked by my mom. We have a veggie one made with chickpea batter, plus beef & potato and chicken & cheese. People are accustomed to sweet empanadas, so it's always a pleasant surprise when they try the savory."

The space doesn't currently have a kitchen but Fernandez doesn't rule out expansion down the road. He's still balancing the coffee shop with his day job as a stockbroker.

"For now, my parents are helping me, but eventually I want to transition out of that," he says. "With all the stress and uncertainty and volatility in that field, I thought, 'There’s nothing better than being your own boss'."