About us
In early 2007 Carlene Saelg and Rita Davis moved to Dallas from Austin.
Meeting new people and finding our way around Dallas was exciting but we were disenchanted by the lack of good, independent coffee shops. We were looking for a “niche”, the gathering place with the warm welcome and after a short time of searching it became apparent that we would need to create it ourselves.
We talked about opening a coffee shop many times, being the coffee enthusiasts that we are, and how we would do things very differently from the chain coffee shops. The decision to open a coffee shop happened after we figured out that we needed to create the community that we wanted to be a part of, but for that to happen we needed our shop to be GREAT! To stand out!
So we developed our signature drink, The Pearl Latte™, which won Best Latte in Dallas after only 6 months of being open! We also set out tasting coffee from here to California. We eventually settled on local Texas roasters.
It was important for us keep our purchasing dollars in our local economies. God and the universe work in amazing and efficient ways! From the start the right people crossed our path at exactly the right time to provide information, guidance, and support. After spending some time in East Dallas we knew the location and the neighborhood that we wanted to serve. Our Realtor steered us to the up and coming area of Henderson Ave.
We immediately saw the advantages of locating ourselves on Henderson and took the plunge. Knowing it would be difficult to obtain financing as first time business owners we both emptied our savings and retirement accounts to see this dream come to fruition. I’ve heard it said that you sometimes have to risk everything to reap your greatest rewards, we have certainly done that but we found comfort in knowing that this was a calculated, well researched risk, so we both gladly jumped in.
About the Espresso Bar / About our Coffee
We are a “3rd Generation” Coffee shop, which simply means that we are a shop committed to custom flavor profiles that truly allow the taste of GREAT espresso to shine through.
You can expect to find a traditional size cappuccino and our largest latte is 16 ounces.
These drinks are typically served with two shots of espresso unless, of course, you ask for an additional shot. This commitment to flavor profiles also lies in the Roasters we choose! If you look behind the cup you will see Master Roasters that have forged relationships with the farms where they buy their coffee. This means they get the “pick” of the harvest and pay above “fair trade” for the beans. Those beautiful, directly sourced beans are then roasted in small batches to precise specifications
The Pearl Cup is making your coffee experience exciting!!
You have a choice in your espresso!!
The Pearl Cup serves 3 (THREE!!) great espressos!
There aren’t many shops across the US that offers 3 different espresso choices from 3 different roasters.
The Pearl Cup believes our customers deserve choices!
Espresso: Meritage World Class Espresso Blend by Cuvee Coffee Roaster Austin, TX. Description: This award winning blend is a perfectly balanced harmony of sweetness, clean acidity, full body and lingering fruit finish.
Espresso Delicato by Eiland Coffee Roaster Dallas, TX
Description: A medium to heavy body espresso that is smooth yet powerful, with tastes of cocoa, nuts, & a hint of fruit. Delicato stands on its own as an espresso. It cuts through milk for lattes wonderfully, leaving a well-rounded flavor.
This is the espresso used in the Pearl Latte™ that won D Magazine “Best Latte 2009”.
Espresso: Cottonwood by Brown Coffee Roaster San Antonio, TX
Description: This is a creamy and well-built, sweetly sturdy and richly simple espresso.
The smooth and buttery finish, make it an easy espresso to drink.
Coffee: The Pearl Cup Blend by Eiland Coffee Roaster
Description: A custom blend of Indonesia, Africa, & Latin America coffees. Intense aromas that suggest cinnamon, dark coco & sassafras. In the cup is dark cherry, honey and Meyer lemon, with sassafras prevalent in the finish. PC Blend is perfect for those that want a bolder coffee without being bitter. It is perfect all day and pairs nicely with desserts and pastries.
Coffee: Mezzanote by Cuvee Coffee Roaster
Description: A balanced blend of coffees from Central and South America with plenty of body and a slightly smoky character.
Single Origin Coffees – check in with us weekly to see which single origin coffee is featured as these change frequently!
Note:
Special, rare and hard to get coffees come in from time to time and are only offered by single cup or French Press.
**All coffee is available for purchase. Just ask us and we’ll bag some up for you take home!
Shops like The Pearl Cup that pay attention to details are the shops that experience great success! Our hope and desire is to see more area Dallas shops trend in this direction and really start to cultivate a coffee community that Dallas can be proud of!
A HUGE Thank You to our customers for loving our coffee and telling their friends!!
Stay tuned to our events page as we begin a coffee knowledge series. You’ll learn how to prepare coffee at home using a variety of brewing methods, experience a coffee cupping, and how to pair coffee with cheese, fruit, chocolate, spice etc.
This is like a wine tasting only better!!! Our main focus is providing the best espresso and customer service in an environment that is welcoming and comfortable. We use a La Marzocco espresso machine and have trained our baristas to truly create a hand crafted beverage.
Many of our baristas are now doing “latte art” for your enjoyment. Expect to eat some of the best desserts in town while enjoying your perfect, well-rounded latte.
We have delicious pastries and fabulous desserts baked especially for The Pearl Cup.
Our Bakers are the best in town!
Featured Bakers:
Citizen Sweet Bakery –All natural ingredients, no kidding!
Tough Cookie – Vegan! Need I say more!
Kessler Cookie Company - Cookies as big as your face!
Cookies, Crumbs and Crusts – Authentic homemade!
Wackym’s Kitchen – Proven local favorite!
Don’t forget to try our signature Pearl Latte™, it’s our own secret recipe that will keep you coming back for more! During the hot months of summer you can have any drink on ice!
You’ll hear local music on select Thursdays (check the events page) and see art from local artists on the walls.
Sales from the art at The Pearl Cup will go 100% to the artists with no fees charged by The Pearl Cup.
We have a side patio and a pet friendly front patio!
The Pearl Cup is truly striving to be the community anchor and meeting place of the Henderson, M Streets and Lakewood areas. We are encouraging folks from the neighborhood to walk or pedal over to see us (bike rack available). The Pearl Cup is also doing its part to reduce our carbon foot print on the planet by employing green building practices such as using soy based insulation, 100% renewable wind powered electricity and most importantly The Pearl Cup will use only biodegradable and compostable to-go cups. But of course when you come in to The Pearl Cup we will assume that you are staying for a visit and serve your Pearl Latte™ in a porcelain mug.
The Name—The Pearl Cup Espresso Bar
So how did we come up with the name? This question is asked quite frequently and to be totally honest it is a very simple answer. We just really like the name!! We knew we wanted Pearl in the name and before long we came up with The Pearl Cup! We have gotten a fabulous response to the name. Everyone seems to really love it including folks that have been in the coffee industry for a long time, calling it unique and fresh and not your typical play on coffee related terms
The Pearl Cup Espresso Bar & Coffee Shop
