Avoca Coffee Roasters, which has been on Magnolia Avenue for four years, is expanding to the cultural district.
The coffee shop is expected to open at 835 Foch St. between the end of October and the beginning of November.
“West Seventh is a very busy part of Fort Worth,” said co-owner of Avoca Jimmy Story. “It’s got great traffic flow. There’s some comradery being built amongst the community through there.”
Story said plans for the second location have been in the works for a while.
He said the new location will have the industrial, warehouse-style feel of the Magnolia location, but there will be some aesthetic differences such as more natural-looking wood finishes.
“We will solidify the way things look between the two [locations] – to familiarize the layout for both,” Story said. “We want to make it so our customers walk in and say, ‘That’s an Avoca set-up.’”
Story said the Roaster’s product quality will remain the same.
“The consistency of our product should be able to show through in both places,” Story said.
Blythe Norman, a West Seventh resident for 11 years, said Avoca’s expansion is welcome.
“We desperately need a place for coffee that offers taste and character,” Norman said.
But she is worried about parking around Foch Street.
“I hope there is enough foot traffic to keep the business viable,” Norman said.
Story said the businesses and residential areas surrounding the second location will benefit from the convenience of getting coffee on-foot.
In looking at the culture of Magnolia Avenue and West Seventh, both areas differ somewhat, Norman said.
Norman said West Seventh offers a “big industry feel” with many established businesses and new development. She said Magnolia has served as a hub for many local businesses and promotes a more independent vibe.
“You’ll find a less homogeneous crowd on Magnolia: families, artists, neighbors, musicians and people who don’t mind strolling the street a bit,” Norman said. “I think West Seventh draws a college crowd and a fine dining crowd, according to what is available.”
Story said the differing demographics of the two areas are hard to sum up in a few sentences.
“We all have an idea of what we want Fort Worth to be,” Story said. “You can’t say they’re polar opposites, but they are very different demographics. Your age groups intensify and drop off in different ways. For us, the biggest thing is the message about the coffee.”