Is a coffee war heating up in Keller? Summer Moon to set up shop soon

While still not equal to the number of chicken restaurants lining Keller Parkway, the specialty coffee business is heating up in Keller.

Summer Moon Wood-fired Coffee, an Austin-based coffee bar now expanding into other parts of Texas, will open its first Tarrant County location this winter in Keller Town Center, 1004 Keller Pkwy.

The coffee shop will take over the old Starbucks, which moved a block west to a site with a drive-through window. Scooter’s Coffee is just a few blocks east on Keller Parkway with a drive-through location. Starbucks has another Keller Parkway location at U.S. 377.

“We’re really happy to be opening in Keller,” said Greg Richardson, owner and general manager of Summer Moon DFW coffee shops. “We think it will be a really good fit for the area.”

Richardson and his wife, Laura, met the owners of Summer Moon through a mutual friend and they started planning for DFW locations two years ago.

In March, they opened the first North Texas location in Frisco. Greg Richardson said that location “has done very well.”

The Richardsons live in Keller, and now they want one of their shops there. The Keller location will be their second location but the 10th for the coffee chain.

Known for its unique roasting process, Summer Moon has a specially made wood-fired oven powered by hand crank or foot pedal. Richardson said all the roasting is done at a “barn” in Dripping Springs and beans are shipped weekly to stores.

The coffee shop also is known for its “Moon Milk,” a rich, creamy milk that tastes like melted vanilla ice cream.

“You can select your own sweetness level,” Richardson said. “The Half Moon Lattes are our most popular item, with a medium level of sweetness.”

Richardson is a newcomer to the coffee business. He has a background in corporate finance and worked with Galderma Laboratories in Fort Worth for eight years.

“I joke I went from drugs to caffeine,” he said.

All the stores focus on locally sourced food. Richardson partners with Main Street Bakery in Grapevine, Chelles Macarons in Plano and the Dallas Farmers Market.

Richardson is looking for a Keller-area contender to supply breakfast tacos. The Keller location will serve pastries, macaroons, sandwiches, quiches and breakfast tacos.

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Is a coffee war heating up in Keller? Summer Moon to set up shop soon."