Drop In and Stay Awhile at Staycation, a New Coffee Shop in Richardson

Staycation is a new coffee shop serving coffee and pastries in a quaint home in Richardson. For Nicole Gregory, opening this cafe was a longtime dream come true. She'd worked in coffee and hospitality for 12 years, with a resume that includes Weekend Coffee and Commissary Coffee. Her business partners eventually persuaded her to open her own spot.

The house that Staycation occupies was built in the 1940s and has gone through a couple of owners,  serving as both a residence and office. Gregory and her team renovated it to the charming cafe it is today.
The vision for the space was inspired by a two-month-long trip Gregory took to Costa Rica in 2019. After returning home, she realized the importance of rest and relaxation.

“I wanted to create a space where you can feel rejuvenated, feel rested, have conversations with new people and have new experiences,” Gregory says.

Located near the Richardson Core District, Staycation is on a quiet corner of Texas and Polk streets, close to local neighborhood favorites Kirin Court and Lone Chimney Mercantile. The home is draped in a fresh coat of light olive green paint, with a steel white floral entryway and a sign hanging on top of the front door.

The space is cool and inviting, with soft sounds of a blues playlist and conversation between guests. A large chalkboard menu offers a variety of coffee, tea and non-coffee drinks as well as pastries from a rotating list of local vendors. In the first week of 2022 when we visited, they had croissants and other viennoiseries by Girl With Flour.
We ordered a mocha latte and, by impulse, quickly added a cookie without even knowing what it was (it looked that good). Rotating it sideways revealed it to be a three-layer confection, which the barista confirmed to be an oatmeal creme pie. As I went to pay, to my surprise, someone had paid it forward. I wanted to continue the kind gesture, but the mystery gift-giver left a generous amount for a few more customers.

While waiting for the mocha latte, we curiously walked around to each room, which all have their own theme. The main room has a deep shade of green with a circle of four deep-seated chairs great for a casual round table chat or solitude. The back of this main living space has small tables and booths perfect for groups of friends.

To the side of the main room is a little nook area with great light. Towards the back of the home is an orange-shaded room with a large communal table that can be used for a shared working space or playing a game with friends. An outdoor patio has a charming deck with a few tables and a spacious yard, which should have plenty of wonderful uses in nice weather.
The mocha latte was served in a large mug perched on a small plate, with a slow leaf made by our barista Brandon, which was almost too pretty to drink. While the oatmeal creme pie cookie made the experience even better, it wasn’t the best decision of my day; that was buying two more cookies on the way out. This cookie is from Miss Josephine, a venture by Gregory and her sisters offering homemade goods and treats in honor of their mother.

Staycation, 201 S. Texas St. (Richardson), 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday