Meet the Dallas Coffee Shop with a Cereal Bar and Vinyl Collection

The Spin Coffee & Vinyl, a hybrid coffee and music store in Far North Dallas, has the kind of ambiance people make ASMR videos trying to replicate: a cozy coffee shop with a record player spinning oldies. That search on YouTube brings up over 5 million results. Those do in a pinch if you’re trying to fall asleep, but what Spin has going for it is a little harder to replicate.

The menu at the coffee shop side of things is simple, sticking to the familiar drinks you’ll find in most cafes. Three-dollar lattes and cappuccinos while perusing albums isn't a bad deal at all. There are also chai, teas and espresso shots. The presentation of the drinks is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. The coffee cups have rims that spiral and swoop outward. This not only feels visually in line with the vinyl record theme but also makes it easier to sip out of a completely full cup.
The drinks themselves are a warm and fuzzy way to start the day. The mocha is smooth, with an Instagramable chocolate drizzle on top. The drinks pair well with pastries — croissants, scones and biscuit sandwiches — from local bakeries such as La Casita and Reverie Bakeshop.

The other, quirkier breakfast option is found at the cereal bar. This includes a selection of single-serving boxes of most major cereals as well as large tubes of cereal ready to dispense right into your bowl. The setup is fun and eye-catching, but we have to nitpick the mechanism that dispenses the cereal, which does so in a way that is time-consuming and appears to be grinding up the cereal more than anything else. An adjustment to this would make the cereal bar a much sweeter experience.
Like we said, the menu is simple, but the owners are clearly aiming to build community. When you walk in for the first time, the environment is welcoming and the setup is intuitive and familiar. You already feel like a regular. The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request was the music selection the day we were there, and the barista was more than happy to chat with us about the album as well as the merits of '60s Stones versus '70s Stones.

The Spin also has a decent selection of board games to play while you're there. You can obviously bring a friend with you to play, but it also feels like the kind of place where you can link up with a stranger and it wouldn’t be awkward. Conversely, it's not a spot where it’s easy to hole up in a corner and hide behind your laptop. The space is designed to be inherently social and almost compels guests to engage.

As for the record selection, it’s fun to browse but it may not meet everyone’s standards. This section of the store is fairly small, and while there's a solid collection of popular artists and albums for sale, there are few surprises that would catch a more serious collector’s eye. In fairness, that was never really the point anyway, so manage your expectations accordingly.

Coffee shops are a dime a dozen and the industry is crowded with businesses bending over backwards to stand out. The Spin’s whole “coffee shop with a record store inside” schtick may seem like just another gimmick, but it sticks because it comes from a genuine love for music and bringing people together. We’ll be back for another cup of coffee and conversation soon.

The Spin Coffee and Vinyl, 17290 Preston Road, No. 106. Tuesday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.