Black Sheep Coffee is Counting On Texas with First US Location

The new Black Sheep Coffee shop in Plano, Texas. All images courtesy of Black Sheep Coffee.

The newest member of UK-based Black Sheep Coffee‘s growing flock of cafes is now open in Plano, Texas.

With a modern Texan industrial vibe, the first United States location for the London-based brand features corrugated steel wall paneling, metal framed furniture and rough-hewn natural wood tabletops.

A dark brown tufted leather banquette beckons guests to take a load off, while a fiery graffiti-esque mural by Dallas-based artist Travis McCann incorporates windmill and oil rig silhouettes behind contrasting green cacti and the Texas lone star flag.

Potted greenery enlivens the 2,000-square-foot space, which also offers seating in booths, at the bar and on a 500-square-foot outdoor patio.

Black Sheep Coffee U.S. Operations Project Manager Sam Haleva told Daily Coffee News that the size and rambunctious look of the Plano shop are in line with Black Sheep’s other 100+ locations, most of which are in the UK with some in the United Arab Emirates.

“We chose Texas because we felt that it was the best place in America to start a company and access great talent to build a team from scratch,” Haleva said. “Also, everyone on the team loves Texas barbecue.”

The Plano shop is the first of potentially many in the U.S., the company said. Coffee for all Black Sheep cafes, online sales and subscriptions is currently roasted on 120-kilo-capacity Probat roasters in a 60,000-square-foot facility operated by a partner roaster in the UK, based on Black Sheep’s in-house sample roasting and roast profiling.

Said Haleva, “At the moment we roast all our coffee in the UK, but we’ll start roasting in the U.S. once we have 10-15 shops up and running there.”

Of the five coffees currently on offer by Black Sheep, all are certified Fair Trade and organic, and two are pure specialty robusta.

“That’s what sets us apart,” said Haleva. “When we launched our famous Robusta Revival back in the day, in a world dominated by arabica, we raised some eyebrows and quickly became the Black Sheep of the coffee industry. A lot of people had preconceived ideas about robusta despite not having ever tried a specialty-grade robusta before, so that was definitely a game-changer for a lot of folks out there.”

In addition to traditional espresso and drip coffee options, menus at Black Sheep shops include wide varieties of hot, iced and blended coffee drinks, plus teas, matchas and chais. Foods include pastries and fresh Norwegian waffles and toppings.

Haleva said about 90% of the Black Sheep menu remains the same across all shops, while drink sizes and a few specialty items are catered to local or regional tastes. 

“In the UAE, our signature Arabian Latte and Za’atar croissant are local specials,” said Haleva. “In the U.S., we have U.S.-specific specials and also U.S.-specific sizes and formats, like our famous Box o’ Joe.”

Black Sheep Coffee was founded in 2013 by former college roommates Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, who spent the first two years in business running pop-ups around London prior to opening the first brick-and-mortar cafe.

In 2019, the company announced the acquisition of the retail locations fellow UK specialty coffee chain, Taylor St. Baristas. That announcement accompanied news of a $16 million investment round, which at the time brought the company’s private investment total up to approximately $31 million. 

A  Dallas location of Black Sheep is slated to open on E. Mockingbird Lane on Nov. 2. Openings in Grapevine and Austin are expected soon after. A cafe in Miami is scheduled to open early next year.

The first U.S. location of Black Sheep Coffee is located at 1501 Preston Road in Plano. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here.