Melanie Hernandez
Audio By Carbonatix
Britany Guereca has dreamed about owning her own cafe since she was a little girl. That dream became a reality in 2022 when she opened Cafe’Ciro, a coffee pop-up. But soon, this little pop-up will enter its next phase with a brick-and-mortar in Pleasant Grove.
Born in Durango, Mexico, Guereca has loved coffee since childhood. She spent mornings with her grandparents eating cemitas (Mexican sesame bread rolls) with coffee, which she says were delicious.
After having her second child in 2014, the idea of starting a coffee shop lingered in her mind. Life was difficult, so she found a distraction inside local coffee shops and started experimenting. COVID-19 compelled her to start creating videos of herself preparing coffee, which quickly became popular. After receiving her permanent residency in the U.S., she immediately applied for a barista job to learn more about making coffee.
Since then, both her grandparents have passed, and she now dedicates her business to them. The name Cafe’Ciro honors her grandfather, who was named Ciro.
Her Mexican roots are apparent in Cafe’Ciro’s menu, with specialty drink flavors like Gansito, Duvalín, Paleta Payaso, mazapán and sponch, which are all Mexican sweets. The menu offers numerous lattes (including a recently added tiramisu flavor) with whipped cream toppings; there are also fruity refreshers and a couple of matcha drinks. Kids can get strawberry and chocolate milk. Mainly, Guereca aims to highlight coffee flavors that represent her Mexican heritage and childhood.
Customers can find Cafe’Ciro’s bottled coffee at Graciela’s Bakery in East Dallas where they frequently do pop-ups. The bottles come in horchata, churro, mazipan and sugar-free flavors and are located inside the fridges at the store.
Café’Ciro’s also offers up chilaquiles in Chinese-style takeout boxes; theirs is a Duranguense-style with either a spicy red salsa or a mild green salsa on top of tortilla chips, chicken and queso fresco. Customers can also feast on mini pancakes and breakfast tacos filled with eggs alongside either bacon, ham, sausage or potato.
Guereca recently purchased a storefront in Pleasant Grove that will be the new, permanent Cafe’Ciro location, making it the first coffee shop in the city. She originally planned on opening in January, but the process has been delayed by the city of Dallas, which has yet to green-light their permit. Guereca hopes to have her permits soon to continue expanding her brand.
The maximalist pop-up coffee shop travels all around North Texas, including Garland, Mesquite, Fort Worth, Pleasant Grove and Oak Cliff. Cafe’Ciro is also at Bishop Bazaar – a monthly bazaar in the Bishop Arts District – and the Dallas Farmers Market. Check their weekly schedule on social media.
