A first for South Dallas, Starbucks will be served in a speakeasy-style coffee shop at the historic Forest Theater, which is being reimagined as a community hub set to open next year.
“We really want to have our kind of own feel to it and speakeasy vibes,” said Elizabeth Wattley, CEO of Forest Forward, which is leading the theater’s rebirth.”We’re also bringing in some of that historical feel from the theater.”
Despite issues the brand has faced, this location is expected to be unique and the first in the 75215 ZIP code. It’s through a licensing agreement that allows for a partnership with a minority-owned operator. This means the theater will handle hiring, pay, food and drinks, Wattley said.
“The operator gets to make those decisions,” she said, adding that current events highlight why it’s important for the theater to have decision-making power and autonomy over the work.
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A union strike to disrupt Starbucks’ busy Red Cup Day has been underway, including in Dallas. The situation is different for South Dallas, where there’s not one Starbucks.
The new shop will serve as a small, but powerful example of long-denied investment, showing what can happen when the community leads development, Forest Forward said after announcing the amenity on social media earlier this month. Wattley said there’s excitement around the cafe, which the theater has been talking about with the community for months.
People have been telling Wattley their drink orders, she said.
“It was eye-opening for me to see how deprived people feel of not having these types of resources or not feeling like they’re deserving of a global brand to come to their neighborhood and community,” Wattley said. “We are very excited about this partnership, the theater turning into an economic engine.”
Wattley noted that the development would bring jobs and benefits, including for health, to the community. Forest Forward has a mission to move the needle on life expectancy. ZIP code 75215, where the theater is located, has the county’s lowest life expectancy estimate at 68, according to 2019 data from UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT Health. Neighborhood revitalization, anchored by the theater, could impact quality of life.
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The coffee shop announcement is the latest for the theater as it heads toward its grand opening, expected in November next year. Over the summer, the theater brought on its new director, Nijeul X, who has said he envisions the theater cultivating artists and serving the community. He said he’s crafting thoughtful programming and planning out how to put a slate of amenities and resources to work.
A door will connect the theater lobby with the coffee shop, which Wattley said will feature a “baby stage” for artists to do spoken word and small performances. This location won’t have a drive-through.
The theater overall is expected to have a studio space with 200 retractable seats, a 1,000-seat concert hall, an immersive art studio, visual art studio, a media lab, podcast studio and a cafe. The renovations for the long-shuttered venue are expected to bring new life to a space that has hosted acts like Tina Turner, B.B. King and Prince, and served as a hub of the Black community in South Dallas.
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.