In More Bagel News: Do-Gooder Hugs Café Serves Breakfast

Since 2015, Hugs Café has been providing employment opportunities to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and 2024 marks a big year for the organization.

In January, the nonprofit partnered with Dallas College to bring the Hugs Training Academy to the esteemed Dallas College Culinary Center. There, it offers entry-level skills training including food preparation, knife handling and customer service for the population twice a week. This summer, it was also awarded D CEO’s 2024 Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Award for Best Social Enterprise.

Now, the restaurant will implement extended hours to serve an all-new breakfast menu, beginning Oct. 1.
We swung by the restaurant, located on McKinney's Downtown Square, to sample some of the new breakfast items, and we were far from disappointed. The wedding cake cookies ($3), already an established favorite, are a must-have if you visit. It’s a bright, positive atmosphere with amazing service and really good food, all while supporting a much-needed cause.
The marbled rye toast served with the classic breakfast plate ($13) was top tier, the plating was gorgeous, and it (as any toast would be) was elevated by the peach chutney served on the side. One of the managers came to ask all our opinions on the new menu — both good and bad — and we said that if they aren’t already, they should really put that chutney in a jar and sell it. To our delight, it turns out, they already do. As Texans, it’s easy for us to fall for anything peachy, but it has a touch of heat as well as sweet spices like cinnamon that set it apart. We loved it.

The scrambled eggs were also some of the best we’ve ever had that we didn’t make ourselves. We’re not sure if they have some kind of secret technique they used to make them, but we want to know it. The bacon was standard; you really can’t go wrong.
Onto the cranberry chicken salad bagel sandwich ($10). The staff were very excited that the bagels are imported from New York, and we can't blame them. Plus, the generously portioned chicken salad was delicious. Fruit in chicken salad can be a divisive topic, but this one wasn't too sweet and had tons of flavor from all the fresh herbs shining through.
The café’s new hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; the breakfast menu will be available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. before switching over to lunch. We highly recommend checking it out, as well as its mission. We will happily be back to support its cause and to grab one of the heavenly wedding cake cookies we mentioned.

Next time, we’ll have to try the peach chutney on top of one of the New York bagels.

Hugs Café, 224 E. Virginia St., McKinney. Tuesday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. starting Oct. 1.