The former downtown Prosper staple – the post office, has converted to a place of “coffee, community and compassion” with the opening of craft coffee shop 1418. The coffee shop opened its doors Dec. 19, 2022 as an expansion of other locations around the Dallas Fort Worth area. For the first month, the shop kept its doors open until 3 p.m. six days a week. In a few weeks, the shop’s hours will shift to close at 8 p.m. and will be open seven days a week.

“The first 1418 in Downtown Plano opened in 2013. This year is the 10th anniversary,” owner David Bryant said. “It is located at 1418 K Ave., which is where our name came from. We have grown from a local coffeehouse to a brand, but everything is driven from our flagship shop.”

The owner hopes to eventually open 10 total locations of the cafe around the area, which also offers packaged coffee beans to customers.

“We also have a location in Garland, and have a corporate client that we serve in West Plano and Tulsa,” Bryant said. “We roast our own beans at our sister company Celina Coffee Roasters. In Tulsa and Prosper, we house our food segment with an executive chef and baker who produces pastries and more – that business is called 1418 Kitchen.”

Despite the several other locations, the Prosper one is unique to Bryant, as he and his wife are absorbed in the Prosper community through family ties.

“Prosper and Celina are also home to our families,” Bryant said. “We live in Celina. Our daughter and son-in-law also live in Celina and teach in PISD. Our sons and their families live in Prosper, and our grandchildren attend Boyer where one of our daughters-in-law works. Our family is invested in Prosper and Celina in many ways.”

When deciding to open up the Prosper 1418 cafe, Bryant saw more than family interests: he saw an opportunity.

“Downtown Prosper is a destination that is attractive to any business,” Bryant said. “We are honored to be at the gateway to downtown in such a key spot as the corner of Broadway and Coleman. We are excited about what is happening in the future – as we see downtown Prosper begin to blossom with businesses, restaurants and more.”

Currently, downtown Prosper has a limited number of small businesses. Restaurants include The Gin and food truck park The Silos. Small shops like plant store Famous in Oregon, and boutiques like Dawson+Claire are new to the area. The downtown area is in the process of expanding and becoming a community.

“Trust me, it was not easy transforming an old post office building into a coffee shop in the midst of a difficult business climate,” Bryant said. “It took persistence and endurance along with the wonderful support of the town of Prosper.”

Until more recently, the original post office provided one of the primary places to visit downtown. A modern post office was built not too far away from the original location near Reynolds Middle School.

Although the traditional post office made a major modern change, the shop which is in its place prides itself on tradition.

“We do not try to follow the trends in coffee,” Bryant said. “There are many wonderful coffee shops, and we brand ourselves as a traditional craft coffee shop that prides ourselves in quality products but also a warm and kind atmosphere that invites people to stay and connect and create.”

According to Bryant and junior Parker Reynolds, 1418 does serve as a place for community members to “connect” and “slow down.”

“I think it’s awesome to have a local coffee shop that people of all ages can go to,” Reynolds said. “It’s amazing how much 1418 has brought to Prosper residents already. I think that having this coffee shop that is not a chain like Starbucks can force people to take a break and slow down when grabbing a coffee, as there is no drive-thru.”

Bryant puts less emphasis on efficiency and more on quality of the products of 1418.

“There are lots of trends in every industry. The coffee industry is not an exception,” Bryant said. “People are looking for fast and efficient, and in many ways, we are the opposite of that. We want to create an experience and educate the consumer on the coffee industry.”

Trends are put aside to accomplish coffee with detail.

“It is very similar to the wine industry where you get what you pay for,” Bryant said. “We are a specialty craft coffee shop where a gifted barista creates your drink on an Italian Espresso machine. We do work efficiently but it is the creation that creates quality in your drink that makes the difference, just like a fine wine.”

The coffee shop offers a variety of craft coffee and teas, but also foods that range from pastries to sandwiches.

“It’s the first craft coffee shop that downtown Prosper has ever had,” manager Matthew Lang said. “We’re all about people. What we’ve seen in Prosper is a lot of families. This is a great place for families to hang out, bring their kids – and also enjoy coffee to a higher standard than Prosper has ever seen before.”

1418 provides opportunities for both craft coffee and community connection.

“Our core values are three words,” Bryant said. “Coffee – great product and experience. Community – we want to serve the town, schools and organizations in every way possible. Compassion – every day, we ask the question: who can we help?”