"It's your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm," read the letter taped to the door at 6733 Hillcrest Avenue, as People Newspapers reported on September 29. The Snider Plaza Starbucks had closed after the company announced plans to close approximately 250 North America locations.
The store that closed had no drive-thru, and the coffee within a short walk of it is built for longer visits. Nearby you'll find an atrium with a live tree, a slow bar with pour-overs that run up to $50, a café open until 9 p.m., and a coffee shop that already drew the SMU crowd. A morning coffee at Snider Plaza now takes a little longer.
Why this Starbucks, and why now
In a September 24 letter, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the closures targeted "locations where we do not believe we can consistently deliver the experience we want for customers and partners or where we don't see a path to acceptable financial performance." The affected stores were about 1% of the company's more than 18,000 in North America.
The Dallas Observer filled in the local detail. This Starbucks had no drive-thru. White Rock Coffee nearby "would often be packed with SMU students," but the Starbucks often wasn't, and another Starbucks sits three blocks down the road.
The Park Cities have watched this happen before. The same Observer piece recalls that Dallas's first Starbucks opened in Highland Park Village more than 30 years ago and closed in 2023. Highland Park Village's marketing director told the paper that Starbucks had moved its business toward to-go and mobile orders, and that the store's big, inviting interior didn't suit that plan. Snider Plaza's closing follows a similar arc, with the company focusing on to-go and mobile orders while the plaza's other coffee spots offer room to sit.
If you need the green cup, People Newspapers notes that the Starbucks at 6407 Hillcrest Avenue is still serving.
The new anchor at 6600 Snider Plaza
Kilo Coffee held its grand opening over Labor Day weekend, according to the Dallas Observer's 2026 coffee shop guide. It sits at 6600 Snider Plaza, Suite 110, and Kilo's website lists hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The name comes from the precision equipment behind the counter. PaperCity described "tons of different spaces to sit in," including The Atrium, which has natural light and a live tree. The slow bar is the technical part. Its nine offerings start at $11 and go up to $50 for a pour-over. That price range doesn't fit a drink grabbed on the way to the car.
CraveDFW reported in July that Kilo was founded by five people: siblings Alex, Victoria and Ryan Vu, plus Anthony Nguyen and Bao Nguyen. The plan was a rotating pour-over program of about ten single-origin coffees alongside a full espresso bar, with Victoria Vu leading the food. PaperCity adds that Alex Vu's family runs V's House, a Vietnamese restaurant in Bedford.
The current menu is built for a meal, too. It lists beef-and-mushroom pastries, a breakfast sandwich, breakfast burritos, and steak-and-cheese and chicken-and-smoked-Gouda sandwiches. The signature drinks have already changed names since the opening coverage, so check the board when you arrive.
The building also explains Kilo's location. Its neighbor at 6600 Snider Plaza is Sueño Coctelería Mexicana. The Dallas Observer reported in June that Sueño would open for dinner and weekend brunch on June 10, with its tequila lounge, Alma Agave, open nightly. One address now covers a 7 a.m. pour-over, weekend brunch and a nightcap.
The morning map, block by block
From the old Starbucks corner, here's what's within walking distance:
- White Rock Coffee, 6715 Hillcrest Ave. It's a few doors from the closed Starbucks and opens at 6 a.m. daily, the earliest start in the plaza. Its location page calls it "game-day ready," across from SMU, with sit-down seating, Wi-Fi and takeaway. The site lists two different closing times, so plan on mornings and early afternoons.
- Zest Café, 6730 Snider Plaza. Zest lists hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. That makes it the plaza's late option for a weeknight coffee. People Newspapers profiled the New York-inspired café and owners Lisa and Will Murphy in 2023.
- Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, 6632 Snider Plaza. The company's locations page marks this shop "Now Open." It's a growing chain, and crêpes are the draw as much as the coffee.
- Kilo Coffee, 6600 Snider Plaza, Suite 110. This is the slow bar and the atrium. It opens at 7 a.m. and stays open until 7 p.m.
- Starbucks, 6407 Hillcrest Ave. It's a few blocks south and the nearest stop for mobile-order regulars.
White Rock and Kilo both advertise places to sit, and Zest and Kilo stay open into the evening.
Lingering needs a parking space
A longer coffee stop only works if there's somewhere to park, and parking is the plaza's long-running sore spot. People Newspapers describes Snider Plaza as a shopping center "where spots are often in high demand."
On September 15, the University Park City Council settled that debate, at least for now. Last year a volunteer task force recommended an hourly parking fee, but the council never backed it. Instead, the council approved the final step of a Snider Plaza Public Improvement District. Property owners in the district will pay an annual assessment of 15 cents per $100 of valuation, mainly to fund offsite, long-term parking for Snider Plaza. People Newspapers frames the plan as one that will eventually shift the cost of offsite employee parking to those owners.
The district covers Snider Plaza properties south of Rankin Street, the city-owned property at 3420 Rankin, and SMU's property at 3330 Daniel Avenue. It's expected to raise $195,000 in its first year and runs for an initial 10 years. A board of property owners, merchants and residents will help oversee its budget. With the hourly fee off the table, an hour in Kilo's atrium won't come with a parking charge.
The plaza has also added some finishing touches. The Shops at Snider Plaza's community page shows new signage at Daniel and Hillcrest installed in August 2026. On Lovers Lane, the Dallas Morning News reports that Charlie's is coming to the former Adelmo's site at 5450 W. Lovers Lane, though not until spring or summer 2027.
Where the fall calendar puts you
The next few weekends give you good reasons to grab a cup and stay a while:
- Fall Festival at Holmes Aquatic Center, Saturday, October 24, 5 to 7 p.m. It's this Saturday, according to the Shops at Snider Plaza calendar. Zest is open until 9 that night if you want a late coffee afterward.
- Eggtober, Sunday, October 25. It's on the same calendar, and Sueño's weekend brunch is next door to Kilo.
- Holiday tree lighting, Sunday, November 29, 3 to 7 p.m. This year's listing puts it at Centennial Park. Last year's event, hosted by the City of University Park and the Rotary Club of Park Cities, was billed as a Snider Plaza event, so double-check the location before you go.
For a Saturday in late October, the shops' hours suggest a plan: White Rock at 6 a.m. if you're up early, Kilo's slow bar mid-morning, and Zest after the Fall Festival lets out at 7.
Our team keeps up with where University Park drinks its coffee because it's the kind of local detail that helps a new neighbor feel at home fast, in English or Spanish. If you're new to the Park Cities, or know someone who will be soon, Make Your Move Group is glad to share our Snider Plaza short list over a cup. Move with Purpose. Make Your Move Today.
