Located in the retail center known as Celina Station, the 1,558 square foot store also features a full coffee bar serving lattes, Americanos, cappuccinos and more.
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Houston's popular kolache chain has landed in the small city of Celina, its first outpost in the Dallas area.
Kolache Shoppe held a soft opening for its store on Jan. 29 at 605 South Preston Road, just east of downtown Celina.
Located in a new retail center known as Selina Station, the 1,558-square-foot store also features a full coffee bar serving lattes, Americanos, cappuccinos, and flat whites consisting of “microfoamed” espressos. It has been. There is also a drive-thru window inside the store.
The story behind this shop, which specializes in Czech-style pastries in a variety of flavors, dates back more than 50 years. The first shop he was founded by Erwin Ahrens in 1970. He makes his dough from scratch using original, authentic recipes.
The current owners, Texas natives Lucy and Randy Hines, took over from Ahrens in 2014.
Kolache Shoppe has three other stores, all in and around Houston. The busiest store in Houston's Heights neighborhood averages about 2,500 customers a week.
“The Kolaches Shop is a brand that really cares about culture, and bringing joy and kindness is even more important than our Kolaches,” Lucy Hines said. “We convey that through Kolache and our services, and we’re excited to bring that to the Dallas area.”
The DFW expansion is a franchise agreement. The Celina store franchisees are Jake Paulsen and Courtney Paulsen, and Courtney's parents, Gary and Cindy Meckler. The Poulsens have lived in Frisco for many years and said they look forward to serving the Celina community. Courtney is a former middle school teacher and Jake's background includes business leadership and restaurant management.
Jake Paulsen, who has a background in business leadership and restaurant management, said, “We are both human beings, and we are passionate about our role at Selina to provide delicious and convenient options to start each day.'' I'm excited,” he said in a statement. Former junior high school teacher.
Lucy Hines said the decision to expand to Celina in high-growth Collin County was backed by thorough market research into the town, which is well-positioned for growth and has welcomed new businesses in recent years. He said he was there. New rooftop restaurants are springing up in the northern part of the county, often featuring a variety of flavors from around the world on their menus.
“We wanted to expand,” she said. “Honestly, this is kind of a test market because Dallas is different than Houston.”
The Selina store was originally scheduled to open in fall 2023, but supply chain constraints pushed the opening back several months. Construction of the first-generation space cost him more than $800,000. Franchise fees to operate a store cost approximately $30,000.
Lucy Hines, who worked at the store during opening week, added that the store's “family atmosphere” is a perfect fit for the charming atmosphere of downtown Celina.
“The people I've worked with as clients have felt the same way,” she said. “So you can bring your kids, come before work, and just want a nice place to land that's not too loud but still inviting.”
Longtime friends and kolache enthusiasts, the Paulsens and Hynes said bringing the store to Celina was a dream come true.
“With Jake and Courtney at the helm, they have experienced the culture of this store and want it to be the heart of Celina and a place where you can come and have great kolaches and a great experience,” Lucy said. Hines said. .
According to the owners, the store has had about 500 customers in just a few days. The most popular item is the sweet-filled kolache, which is notable for its sweet cream cheese flavor. The restaurant is also known for its cinnamon rolls, one of the few items on the menu that aren't kolaches.
The shop's grand opening will be held on February 19th, followed by a week of coffee and kolache specials.