A California transplant has landed in Dallas-Fort Worth. San Diego-founded Pappalecco made its Texas debut last month bringing authentic Italian cafe culture to Plano with an all-day hang designed for lingering.
Located on the ground floor of the Morado Plano apartments at 1009 14th Street, Pappalecco comes to Texas via husband-and-wife franchisees Jolly Chen and Chi Yan. The opening marks the brand’s first expansion outside of San Diego—and the couple’s first franchise venture—a move sparked by an unexpected source: Facebook.
Chen, a Chinese native, and Yan, who was born in Macau, moved to the U.S. in their early childhood. The two grew up in New York City before moving to Texas in 2016 and settling in Allen. In the summer of 2024, Chen was scrolling the “Moms of Allen, TX” Facebook group when a post caught her attention.
“One lady said, ‘I’ve been in corporate America for over 20 years. I’m sick and tired of corporate America and want to do something different, but I don’t know what,’” Chen recalls.
As a full-time certified public accountant with two children, Chen could relate. Though her background is in accounting, she had long-lingering dreams of owning a dessert shop. When another Facebook group member made a comment suggesting connecting with a franchise consultant, a light bulb began to flicker. Chen saved the number. It sat untouched for months.
That fall, Yan asked Chen what they should do with the earnings from a real estate investment. The light bulb lit up. Chen called the consultant. The process began with a survey, followed by a shortlist of franchise opportunities. Chen and Yan immediately knew Pappalecco was the one. By Thanksgiving, Yan was in San Diego meeting with the franchisor.
“Pappalecco’s whole concept about human connection, that is missing these days,” Chen says. “People don’t talk, even in cafes. You’re not gonna have an owner come sit with you and chat with you and tell her story to you guys.”
At Pappalecco Plano, they do.
Pappalecco, which means “gelato to lick,” was founded in San Diego’s Little Italy in 2007. The café was created by Italian brothers Francesco and Lorenzo Bucci, who once owned a restaurant within walking distance of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Armed with Francesco’s pistachio gelato recipe, the brothers immigrated to the U.S. in the early 2000s, bringing homegrown Italian café culture with them.
The Italian café prides itself on carrying on the essence of an Italian piazza, a pedestrian-friendly public space built around leisure and conversation. In these spaces, people soak up life’s simple pleasures with a book, art, music, and conversation typically accompanied by a scoop of gelato, soul-soothing cappuccino, or a nourishing lunch. Pappalecco encourages this slow living with an all-day menu.
“A lot of cafes here, they either open early and then they close around 3 or 4 p.m. because they don’t have anything else to serve for the evening,” Chen says.
The Plano newcomer stays open late, welcoming guests Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Crafted by an Italian designer, Pappalecco Plano is a haven soaked in natural sunlight and accented with an olive tree. Dreamy green tile, imported Italian wallpaper, sculptural pendants, and a stunning custom geometric fixture give the café a polished, yet cozy feel.
The menu spans coffee, espresso beverages, pastries, paninis, salads, soups, and house made gelato churned on-site There’s even a gelato-stuffed croissant. The Marocchino, a Nutella cappuccino, is a standout, but the real showstopper is the personalized latte art. The Plano location takes personalization to another level with a counterside EVEBOT coffee printer. Guests can upload a photo via QR code. The machine then recreates the image using edible ink on select beverages. The result is a latte almost too cute to sip. Best of all, the edible art is free.
More than a new coffee-and-gelato stop, Pappalecco feels like a refreshing shift in how Dallas-Fort Worth does café culture—one that favors lingering over rushing, and conversation over convenience. For Chen and Yan, it’s also the start of a new chapter rooted in community, hospitality, and a little bit of serendipity.
Pappalecco, 1009 14th St., Suite 600, Plano, pappalecco.com
