Maman opened in New York City in 2014 and has flourished across the East Coast, with locations extending into Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; and Florida. On November 20, the café brand opened in Dallas, marking its first location in Texas.
The newest Maman is situated in The Plaza at Preston Center, a bustling strip of shops and restaurants. It features a French provincial aesthetic courtesy of its founders, Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte. Inside, it’s bright and airy, with warm woods, farmhouse tables, and green plants. There’s a semi-private event space popular for bridal showers, luncheons, and other events.
Maman (“mom” in French) is an all-day spot serving a full coffee and tea menu, plus pastries, quiches, omelets, and other breakfast favorites like a smashed avocado tartine. Lunch moves into soups, salads, and sandwiches, including a Mediterranean steak sandwich and the “Croque Maman” made with Parisian ham, Gruyère cheese, and house-made béchamel sauce.
The cafe is known for collaborations with celebrities, like this Martha Stewart chicken club. | Maman
The café is famous for its chocolate chip cookies, which were once featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things list and are shipped all over the contiguous United States. The café has also partnered with Martha Stewart to create select menu items, like a chicken club sandwich, pecan streusel cake, and golden potato gratin tarte.
At the new Dallas location, Maman features all of the above, plus several exclusive menu items that pay homage to Texas. There’s a cheesy brisket croissant roll, the Lone Star cinnamon bun, a salted caramel pecan pie roll, and the Magnolia sweet tea fizz, a cold-steeped magnolia-bud tea with Topo Chico seltzer and Texas wildflower honey syrup.
Beyond its menu and photo-friendly aesthetics, Maman is known for its no-laptop policy. This is a notable departure from most coffee shops, which draw remote workers and others in need of Wi-Fi and a cozy place to hang out.
The cheesy brisket croissant roll is a Dallas exclusive. | Maman
The policy is communicated via signage in stores, often placed at tables and at the point of sale. Signs say: “We are a laptop-free environment. Reading, chatting, & daydreaming are encouraged. Make a friend or call your maman!”
The point is to make Maman a home away from home for its guests. The team prefers the energy and chatter of coffee dates, business meetings, and friends catching up, instead of everyone with their heads down on their computers.
“Maman is rooted in celebrating all of life’s moments,” co-founder Elisa Marshall said when asked about the policy. “Whether it’s a quick coffee alone or eating a delicious meal with friends, we encourage real connection and community. One glance around Maman, and you can tell our Dallas guests appreciate our laptop-free environment.”
It seems to be working just fine beyond Dallas, too. Maman has grown rapidly over the past decade and is now a full lifestyle brand, with retail goods like mugs, aprons, and candles, edible gifts like coffee beans and peppermint bark, and a cookbook.
