Coffeehouse News

Young entrepreneurs craft buzzy coffeehouse concept in west Fort Worth

Fort Worth gets a new workspace with coffee on the side at Craftwork.

A joint coffeehouse and workspace called Craftwork Coffee Co. is coming to west Fort Worth in a high-visibility spot in January. Craftwork will open at 4731 Camp Bowie Blvd., in a 1946 building which also houses The Original Mexican Eats Cafe.

It's a unique concept that's part coffeehouse, part retail workspace; the shared-workspace trend is still relatively new to Fort Worth. At Craftwork, you can work in a communal space, a private office, or team up with buddies in a double suite.

Craftwork comes from business partners and pals Riley Kiltz, 25, and Collin Sansom, 26. Kiltz, a TCU graduate, says he came up with the idea after getting frustrated with the facelessness of modern workspaces.

"I'd been working in private equity as a consultant for a firm out of New York, traveling all over the world and, most of the time, working remotely," he says. "And workspaces really suck. I needed something more. You'd have 50 people all lined up and no one knew each other."

They hope Craftwork will be more of a communal experience than your average coffeehouse, where most people just look down at their computer screens or mobile devices.

"The idea is to have a retail workspace that revolves around the life and energy of a coffeehouse," Kiltz says. "We want the workspaces to provide more than just a box to work in. We want people to talk to each other. We want there to be a sense of community."

Sansom, a former barista trainer at Thunderbird Coffee in Austin, will oversee the coffee end of things. He's developing a drink menu with hot and cold options, espresso drinks, and pour-overs. Fort Worth bakery Stir Crazy Baked Goods will provide snacks and pastries.

Coffee beans will come from Dallas-based Tweed Coffee Roasters, a sister company of Austin'sHoundstooth Coffee. But they're also sourcing from less-known roasters around the country such as Olympia Coffee Roasting Company in Washington, Madcap Coffee from Michigan, and Onyx Coffee Lab from Arkansas.

"We wanted to get the best coffee available, not just from around here but from around the country," Kiltz said. "This way, people can get a different perspective on coffee."

Workspaces start at $170 a month. The space has a conference room, cafe discounts, Internet access, and desks and chairs.

The pair worked with local design firms Studio 97W andPalletSmart to preserve the characteristics of the 3,300-square-foot space which has been home to a psychic, real estate agency, and auto mechanic shop. The building's bones are mostly intact; they've been accentuated with modern touches.

"Bright colors, clean lines, real simple, real clean," Kiltz says. "But then we have steel rafters and lots of wood, which gives it a modern industrial vibe."

coffee openings

Closure News

Tropic Lady restaurant-bar on Fort Worth's Race Street says aloha

Tropic Lady

The dip trio at Tropic Lady.

A chill restaurant and bar in Fort Worth's River East district has closed: Tropic Lady, which opened in the former Fuzzy's Taco space at 2719 Race St. in 2023, has closed.

The restaurant, which closed in mid-December, was a sibling to Bearded Lady, the popular gastropub in Near Southside; their last Facebook post was on December 10. Their phone number is not working, and their website is no longer active. Owner Shannon Osbakken was unavailable for comment, but a Bearded Lady employee confirmed the closure.

Tropic Lady was a tropical-themed gastropub opened by a trio of friends: Bearded Lady owner Shannon Osbakken, her business partner Sarah Allen, and general manager Amanda Yunger. It offered a similar menu as Bearded lady but with more tropical-inspired fare, including shrimp tacos, bacon-wrapped grilled pineapple bites, and guacamole dotted with mango.

For a gastropub, they did interesting food with dishes like watermelon salad with feta and cucumber; or their Dip Trio, with mango guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco served with house-made tortilla chips. Definitely not run-of-the-mill. They also had great lunch specials like a smashburger with curly fries for $10.

Food did not seem to be the problem.

Decor featured artwork and murals created by local artists. A beautifully landscaped patio wrapped around the building’s facade. So the setting did not seem to be a factor.

It's tempting to point the finger at its location on Race Street, which has witnessed a round of closings in the past two years including buzzy birria taqueria Caliscience, which closed in February 2024; as well as The Post at River East, a restaurant and live music venue that shut down the same month.

In 2023, three other restaurants on Race Street closed: Tributary Cafe, the Bon Appetit-lauded La Onda, and vegan burger spot Zonk Burger. But separate reasons can also be found for each of those closures, whether that be inexperience or lease issues.

For years, the city and neighborhood advocates have been trying to turn Race Street into a trendy hotspot. As part of the city’s Urban Villages program, the city of Fort Worth invested $5.6 million in revitalizing the area, making improvements to traffic flow, sidewalks, landscaping, and outdoor lighting.

When Osbakken opened the bar, she said she loved the area, stating "it reminds me of Magnolia when were first were on it 10 years ago in our old location. It's a great community and the neighbors have been friendly and reaching out."

And there are still restaurants along the street, including a popular Mexican restaurant called Tesoro, the Dough’d Up doughnut shop, and Kingyo Sushi & Ramen House, as well as a coffee shop, Race Street Coffee.

The Bearded Lady continues to flourish. Osbakken originally opened the popular gastropub on Magnolia Avenue in 2013. Six years later, she moved it to the South Main, where it’s still going strong.

closings