Juju’s Coffee, which is tucked on a side street of Skillman in East Dallas, is the restaurant that’s most affected by Oncor construction so far. But neighboring businesses, like a cleaners, a rug shop and a bagel store, are also concerned the six-week project will bring about lower sales and parking problems.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
As Oncor crews tunnel under Skillman Street in East Dallas in a six-week project to install underground electrical facilities, the small businesses affected are begging customers to come back.
At Juju’s Coffee and Benny’s Bagels, Oncor construction has removed many of the nearby parking spaces. An excavator parked between orange barricades near Benny’s Bagel’s has rendered its closest accessible spots temporarily unusable. Heavy machinery blocks sight lines to Juju’s Coffee and its neighbors, US Cleaners and a rug store called Oushak Atelier.
It’s a “logistical nightmare” that could be detrimental to Juju’s, said Julia Rocha, the coffee shop’s namesake and co-owner.
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Pedestrians have likely noticed the construction on this East Dallas block, which began July 20, 2026. It started right before the beginning of the school year, Rocha’s husband, Nick Rocha, added.
“People make their routines at the beginning of the school year, and they keep them,” he said. The Rochas are concerned regulars will see the blockades and construction equipment and decide to visit another coffee shop.
Construction from an Oncor project in East Dallas is affecting Benny’s Bagels, which lost its side parking, including accessible spots.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
Frank Fasci shares the concern. He bought Benny’s Bagels in East Dallas just under three years ago, though the shop has been open near the Lakewood neighborhood for 30 years.
“There are a lot of bagel places,” Fasci said. Any extra “friction,” as he put it, requiring customers to park farther away or walk a few extra blocks, could mean lost sales in summertime, when some restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth already see a seasonal dip.
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Fasci said he’s also frustrated that the job needs to be done at his doorstep, yet he doesn’t feel that Oncor’s work benefits him directly.
Oncor has marked the project mandatory. It runs down La Vista in a straight line, underneath Skillman Street to Live Oak. Installing power underground will “improve reliability for consumers at large,” Oncor spokesperson Roxana Rubio explained.
“It doesn’t really improve our power needs,” Fasci said.
As Nick and Julia Rocha smile outside of their East Dallas coffee shop Juju’s, an excavator dumps dirt a few feet away.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
Nick and Julia Rocha sit inside Juju’s Coffee in Dallas on a Tuesday, their roast day.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
Despite the roadblocks, both sets of business owners said they feel supported by the East Dallas community. The Rochas contacted District 14 Dallas City Councilman Paul Ridley, who helped them gather details on the scope of the Oncor project before it began. It is expected to end in late August.
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Oncor has installed orange traffic signs pointing customers to Juju’s, the business most hidden by construction. So far, the owners of Juju’s do not believe Oncor’s work will force their shop to close.
“Our goal was to be the most vocal business owners,” Nick said.
“We feel everyone understands this could be detrimental.”
Benny’s Bagels has seen a small decrease in business. Juju’s owners have noticed a similar drop. They ask for patience and patronage in the coming weeks.
“And also,” Julia added, “we ask that our neighbors are kind to the construction workers and contractors, who are just doing their jobs.”
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Juju’s Coffee is at 6038 La Vista Drive, Dallas. Closed Tuesdays.
Benny’s Bagels is at 1901 Skillman St., Dallas. Open seven days a week.