Oak Cliff Cafe El Jardin Sells Out Stickers and Cinnamon Rolls

El Jardin Cafe, located at 714 W. Davis St. in Oak Cliff, opened in September with a simple menu of lattes and pastries, but its sticker vending machine and limited pastry inventory have already created a local sensation. The shop, situated next to Spelled Milk in a renovated building with exposed brick, features a bright interior decorated with family photos and Mexican-inspired art.

The concept for the cafe evolved over five years. Alfredo Leal, along with his brothers Alex and Max, initially planned to open a shoe retail store. When the market for footwear sales slowed, the brothers shifted their focus to coffee about three years ago, aiming to recreate nostalgic drinks from their childhood in Mexico. Their parents are from Mexico, and the menu reflects that heritage. The brothers found the current space through a local landlord who, according to Alfredo, operates in an old-school manner. The permitting process with the City of Dallas proved to be the most difficult part of the launch, involving costly back-and-forth and a last-minute requirement for a drop ceiling.

Hiring staff presented its own challenges. The cafe received over 80 applicants for two positions. Alfredo Leal noted that every interviewee was enthusiastic, making the selection process difficult. On opening day, the shop ordered 280 custom stickers for their cups. They expected the supply to last a week, but the stickers sold out within two hours. A cousin who makes custom stickers printed another 1,000, which also sold out by the second day. A relative of the family works as a barista, and the brothers' mother, a longtime baker, provides the pastries, cookies, and conchas from an off-site kitchen.

The pastries have drawn consistent demand. Alfredo Leal reported that cookies sell out before 11 a.m. daily. On weekends, cinnamon rolls based on a recipe from a bakery in Monterrey, Mexico, sell out by the same time. The cafe brings in 100 rolls per day for the weekend. The coffee menu includes four specialty lattes, four matchas, and a classics section. The highest priced item is $7.50. The cafe partners with local roaster Noble Coyote, which supplies beans from a farm in Chiapas, Mexico, called La Chilana. Kevin Sprague of Noble Coyote said the roastery picked up the beans after the annual harvest from a warehouse at the border. The beans have chocolate notes, which Alfredo Leal selected for their flavor profile.

Noble Coyote helped the brothers estimate their coffee sales for the first week. They exceeded that estimate in a day and a half and had to close early on their second day. When Noble Coyote delivered the next week's supply, they informed the cafe that it had broken the roastery's weekly sales record. A sticker vending machine near the door offers four designs for $1 each. Alfredo Leal got the idea from a friend’s sister who runs Charmed Creative Studio. The machine is frequently sold out as customers try to collect all four designs. A new set of stickers for Dia de los Muertos is currently available.

El Jardin Cafe is open Monday, Wednesday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shop is closed Tuesdays.