Near Southside’s latest hangout is brewing on Magnolia Avenue, where Vicela: Crafted Excellence, a new coffee-and-cocktail lounge from hospitality veteran Laura Elias, is moving into a 2,500-square-foot storefront. The spot will pair pastries, sandwiches and small plates with an all-day beverage program, with a soft opening set for Feb. 19 and a broader public debut planned for early March. Elias says she wants Vicela to feel like a neighborhood living room that works just as well for families and couples as it does for late-shift workers hunting for a comfortable place to land.
The Space On Magnolia
Vicela is taking over 1411 W. Magnolia Ave, a space that can seat about 68 guests across indoor tables, a patio, and a backroom that previously served as a tasting room. The buildout includes a refreshed back area and a street-facing layout meant to handle early-morning coffee traffic and late-night cocktail service without missing a beat, according to CultureMap Fort Worth.
Owner's Vision
Elias, who has a background in hotel food-and-beverage operations, says the name "Vicela" is a mashup of her parents' names, Laura and Vicente. She envisioned a Victorian-cottage feel with playful touches that nod to local river life. The concept is intentionally community-focused and designed so that “grandmas” and night-shift workers both feel at home, she told WhatNow Dallas. Family and friends are expected to get the first look at the soft opening on Feb. 19, with the wider public invited once regular hours begin in early March.
Backroom Movies And Community Nights
The former distillery room is being converted into a darkened backroom that will screen movies during the day and host events such as Painting With a Twist-style classes, cake-decorating workshops, and distillery tastings. On the menu side, Vicela plans to cover the range from espresso drinks and pastries to coffee-forward cocktails like espresso martinis, leaning on a local pastry program for its baked goods. Those buildout details and programming plans are outlined by CultureMap Fort Worth.
Where Vicela Fits In
Magnolia Avenue has long been a strip known for coffee shops and small bars, and Vicela’s hybrid model of daytime coffee and evening cocktails plugs directly into a growing wave of all-day concepts across DFW. The space previously housed Lockwood Distilling, which closed its Magnolia tasting room in September 2025 as part of a plan to open a larger location in Garland, according to the Dallas Morning News.
With its 2,500-square-foot footprint and a mix of classes, movies, and all-day service, Vicela is positioning itself as a community room as much as a cafe or bar. More specific menu details and exact hours are expected to roll out as the Feb. 19 soft opening draws closer.
