Ampersand coffee is going to need a bigger cup.
Owner Toan Luong told the Star-Telegram that his Fort Worth coffee shops are expanding in all three locations.
The TCU location on South University Drive will swallow the permanently closed Jimmy John’s next door. The flagship store in the West 7th Entertainment District will also undergo a minor expansion with the addition of a full kitchen.
And drumroll please, Luong said Ampersand was the first lease signed for DFW Airport’s $1.6 billion Terminal F. This will be the fourth coffee shop for the brand, joining the one already in Terminal C at the airport.
“I feel like we’ve grown so much within the last 10 years. The community has grown equally with us. The school has grown with us, too,” Luong said. “I would say, Ampersand is evolving into a more elevated brand.”
Ampersand first opened on Bledsloe Street in 2017 as one of the only Fort Worth coffee shops that turns into a bar at night. It primarily sells craft coffee and matcha drinks, pastries and toasts.
Ampersand on South University Drive will expand into the permanently closed Jimmy John’s space. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com Ampersand expansion on TCU campus
The Ampersand at TCU came about when the iconic Record Town store moved after 70 years in 2019, leaving the opportunity for Luong to begin leasing the prime space of real estate along University Drive. Then in 2023, he and his team doubled the size of the shop and gave it a fresh, modern look.
Luong says knocking the walls down between Ampersand and Jimmy John’s for this new expansion will primarily make room for a full kitchen, but also provide some extra space for seating.
He said students need more seating, as the coffee shop has become one of the most popular study spots on campus.
The full kitchen will give his team more space to prepare its beloved thickly sliced toast topped with avocado or caprese and pizza bagels. Additionally, his team will use the space to begin making pastries in house.
A timeline for when this will be complete is to be determined. But for now, Luong said operations will not be affected by construction. He plans to merge the spaces during holiday breaks when students are not on campus.
Mimi Lu (left) and Toan Luong, the owners of Ampersand, stand outside their $2 million DFW Airport coffee shop in Terminal C. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com Ampersand opening another DFW Airport store
In 2024, Ampersand opened in DFW Airport. Not only is it (still) one of the only Fort Worth-owned businesses in the airport, but Ampersand beat out top dogs like Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Pete’s to secure the space in Terminal C.
Luong and his team own 100 percent of their stores in the airport, a rarity in the airport concessionaire business.
By May 2027, Ampersand will be open to customers in DFW’s new Terminal F.
“We’re in the third-busiest airport in the world, but we are literally just a drop in the bucket,” Luong said.
Terminal F will hold 31 gates and be the new signature terminal for Fort Worth-based American Airlines. Phase one of construction is anticipated to wrap up by 2027, and the terminal will be complete in 2031.
According to the Star-Telegram’s news partner WFAA, other local concessionaires going into Terminal F include Cookie Society, Mi Cocina, Mama Moore’s popcorn and Audrey’s Popcorn.
A Butter Brew Latte, Booberry Matcha and Vanilla Shakerato are the favorite drinks at Ampersand Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, in Fort Worth. Ampersand topped the poll for Star-Telegram’s Reader’s Choice Best Coffee Shop. Yffy Yossifor yyossifor@star-telegram.com
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.