Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
Every day at 5 p.m., the caffeinated nook inside Half-Price Books, La Casita, swapped its menu of coffee and pastries for cocktails and a list of savory plates, one of which was our favorite fish tacos in Dallas.
La Tiki Paisa served fun drinks and globally inspired dishes for nearly a year until last week, when owner Maricsa Trejo and her husband, Alex Henderson, announced that the after-hours tiki bar would be no more as of Saturday, Jan. 31.
“We are sad to announce our La Tiki Paisa concept has come to an end at Half Price”, they wrote in an Instagram caption, “Our last night is tomorrow evening, we have had so much success and our little tiki bar was written up about more times than we can count but in the end the numbers were not what we needed to continue at this space!”
La Casita will continue to be open, but now as an all-day cafe. They will serve cocktails, brunch, sandwiches and pastries seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The couple’s tiki dreams could continue in another space around Dallas. “While we’re sad to say goodbye to this concept for now,” the Instagram post concludes, “we are interested in exploring a space that our tiki dreams can come to life in down the road!”
All-day cafes are the next micro-dining trend in Dallas. Possibly the first to sprout was Rose Cafe, which opened alongside Le PasSage (soon transitioning to an all-day cafe).
Next came the Aussies. First was Two Hands, and now Little Ruby’s is days away from its grand opening. Both are concepts based on Australian cafe culture, which emphasizes quality coffee, leisurely dining experiences, and healthy, brunch-style foods.
Finally, a couple of landing pads that encourage the art of lingering.
