DALLAS — This story was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. Read the original version here.
A popular Dallas brunch spot is expanding to the suburbs this December, with plans to expand its menu with dinner options in 2025.
Dream Cafe, which first opened in Dallas in 1985 on Knox Street, is set to open in Richardson at 520 Lockwood Dr., the City of Richardson announced Nov. 4. The new eatery will be part of the suburb’s nascent Core District.
Dream Cafe's third location will be in a 3,695-square-foot space formerly occupied by Greenville Avenue Pizza Company, which closed in November 2023.
Dream Cafe is known mostly for its health-conscious, wholesome breakfast and lunch menu that caters to a variety of dietary preferences, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Its other locations are on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas and on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas' Lakewood neighborhood.
Co-owner Christine Lott is opening the forthcoming Richardson location, her second after opening the one on Mockingbird under a franchise agreement in 2015. Lott said in a statement she is looking forward to opening the restaurant in Richardson and getting to know her neighbors.
Founded in 2016, Richardson’s Core District has been positioned as the “eclectic heart” of the city just north of Dallas. It encompasses Downtown and Chinatown as well as the Lockwood, Heights and Interurban neighborhoods. In recent years, city leaders have focused on bringing more retail and small businesses to the corridor in an effort to transform it into a pedestrian-friendly and transit-oriented site. Dallas Area Rapid Transit has a major station in the district, off Arapaho Road.
Richardson City Manager Don Magner said in a statement that Dream Cafe is a "perfect" fit for the Core District and the welcoming atmosphere it seeks to cultivate.
"This new addition will fill a unique niche in the Lockwood Neighborhood, complementing our signature mix of lunch and evening destinations that draw people seeking fresh, memorable experiences," Magner said.
Richardson boasts a unique culinary scene, spanning different cuisines and a variety of dining styles. Authentic Chinese and dim sum restaurant Kirin Court and Italian eatery Partenope Ristorante are located close to the Core District.
Dallas-based investment firm Durkin Properties LLC, which owns the cafe location, is focused on developing retail in Lockwood and along Main Street. Durkin and Dream Cafe did not receive or request economic incentives for the project. However, the former pizza restaurant had received incentives for renovations.
"We continue to see interest in The CORE District and particularly from locally successful small business operators looking for unique environments to open new locations," Manasseh Durkin, president of Durkin, said in a statement.
