Denton County Magazine • Mar 23 • Food & Drink

The long-standing appeal of Denton’s downtown square helps make this coffee house a happy gathering place.

hen a four-alarm fire destroyed Denton’s Downtown Mini Mall the day after Christmas in 2017, it also devastated Jupiter House, a popular coffee shop and longtime Denton square staple.

“We got the call from our manager on her way to work as she saw the flames and fire trucks,” recalled Amy Hawkins, who along with her husband, Joey, owns Jupiter House. “Firefighters had to break into our building to save it from being taken.”

With the walls structurally intact, the couple assumed Jupiter House would be back in business in a matter of weeks. Extensive smoke damage, however, forced a complete gutting of the interior, which led to a prime opportunity to renovate the space into something the Hawkins originally envisioned when they opened the place.

In 2019, the shop reopened, featuring a large kitchen and mezzanine seating area with unobstructed views of the square. The Hawkins also updated their food menu to include the dishes at one of their former restaurants, Royal’s Bagels.

On a typical day, Jupiter House offers patrons eight to 10 bagel options with 10 schmears. One of the most popular is the No. 8, which is egg, cheddar, bacon, red onion, avocado and garden shmear on the bagel of your choice. The coffee shop also has a variety of in-house created baked goods, including the beloved cinnamon rolls formerly found at Royal’s.

La Minita espresso beans from Costa Rica are used to make lattes, mochas, specialty drinks, drip coffee and cold brew.

Jupiter House anchors the square with a sense of community, an essential business concept in a diverse city like Denton.

“We serve families, the business community, college kids, organizations, friends catching up, first dates, people who work from home and need to get out of the house, or even someone looking to make a friend,” Hawkins said.

The aesthetic redesign and menu alterations were made with lasting power in mind. “You have to turn that customer into a regular and someone who wants to come back because they made a connection there, whether it be with a barista or patron,” Hawkins said. “You also have to serve quality drinks and great food in a clean, welcoming, safe atmosphere.”

So far, the couple has found success. “We’ve had Jupiter House since 2007, and 2022 was the best year we have ever had,” Hawkins said. “We are looking forward to 2023 being a great year.”