A classic kolache bakery in Arlington sits minutes from the Czechs’ soccer buzz
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kenner’s Kolache Bakery is at 2812 S. Cooper St. in south Arlington.
- Owner Troy Shepard bought the bakery last year and expanded flavors to about 21 varieties.
- The bakery’s kolaches are lighter and less sweet than many American brioche versions.
A little bit of Czechnia is only a few miles away for that nation’s soccer team, practicing in Mansfield and staying in downtown Fort Worth during FIFA World Cup 2026.
Kenner’s Kolache Bakery, for 41 years a North Texas home for the traditional Moravian Czech fruit pastries, is at 2812 S. Cooper St. in south Arlington. That’s only 2 miles off Interstate 20 north of Mansfield.
Now, understand that Kenner’s serves a very Americanized version of kolaches.
But they’re still yeasty and light, like the originals served at Village Bakery and other newer shops in the old Czech town of West, near Waco.
They’re not heavy. They’re not overly sugary.
So they’re nothing like the American brioche kolaches served some places, where the kolaches that are loaded up with butter and eggs to cater to Texas’ sweet tooth.
Owner Troy Shepard, who bought the bakery last year from late founder David Kenner, has never been to Czechoslovakia.
Not only that, he’s never tried kolaches from West.
Until a few years ago, he was a plumber. But he also was a regular Kenner’s customer who developed a love for the bakery.
Now, he has all the kolaches he wants, and faithful customers from across North Texas who come for Kenner’s pastries and cinnamon rolls.
Shepard has added new flavors, and one was the best of all on a recent visit.
Pina colada — pineapple and coconut — was an upgrade from the regular pineapple flavor that is always among kolache favorites.
He also added raspberry, blueberry and cherry cream cheese kolaches, flavors often seen in the popular West shops.
“We’ve got, like 21 flavors now,” he said, gesturing at the new, handmade signs that separate the new kolaches from the long-standing varieties such as peach, cherry, apricot and the most popular: cream cheese.
Kenner’s kolaches have changed a little over the years. They’re less sweet than ever, with less of Kenner’s old streusel topping.
But that also means they have more flavor. Some customers on social media sites also say the kolaches are smaller. But then, so are customers’ appetites.
The bakery still draws recent comments such as “best in DFW,” “amazing,” and “blew my mind.”
The recipe came from a now-gone Houston bakery.
Kenner, the founder, was selling restaurant equipment in 1985 when he bought the bakery from the owners of a west Fort Worth shop named The Kolache Bakery. They had opened it in 1984, replacing the Old World Bake Shoppe.
And yes, Kenner’s has “sausage kolaches” and bacon plus a kielbasa item named the “Big Dawg.”
Technically, those items are actually not kolaches at all. That is called a klobasnik.
The Czechs will know that.
Kenner’s is open from 6 a.m. to noon daily except Mondays; 817-465-8213, kennerkolachebakery.com.
