Ruthie’s grilled cheese shop, a social impact initiative in Dallas to address food insecurities south of downtown, now serves coffee.
The addition of lattes, cappuccinos, drip coffees and the like, available since June 2025, means neighbors won’t have to travel to Oak Cliff, the Cedars, downtown or Deep Ellum for a morning drink or a meet-up spot.
The restaurant gives 100% of its net proceeds to St. Philip’s, a school and community center near Ruthie’s.
“[School headmaster] Dr. Terry Flowers explained to me that there wasn’t a place nearby for anyone to grab a cup of coffee on the way to work,” said Ashlee Kleinert, founder of Ruthie’s.
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“I want to help bring what is being requested and desired by the surrounding community.”
Among the drinks Ruthie’s now serves is the horchata latte. The restaurant opened in early 2025 and added coffees in summer 2025.(Ruthie’s Fueled By Good)
She started Ruthie’s in 2011, first as a food truck that would feed people in underserved communities. Ruthie’s still has two food trucks.
The initiative expanded into a permanent restaurant on MLK Boulevard in 2025. The company also offers employment opportunities to those leaving the justice system.
The full name of the restaurant is fitting: Ruthie’s Fueled By Good.
The espresso drinks are made with beans from Tre Stelle, an East African-inspired coffee shop and roaster in Far North Dallas. The restaurant already sold breakfast sandwiches and healthy bowls. The menu of new coffee drinks include a Nutella latte and a horchata latte.
Ruthie’s Cafe is at 1632 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas. Ruthie’s is open six days a week, starting at 8 a.m. Closed Sundays.