Gold Ribbon Confections
Gold Ribbon Confections
Sweet treats from Gold Ribbon Confections have been featured at a few local hotspots, and have become a fan-favorite at Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival events and game days at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Maurice Ahern’s Gold Ribbon Confections has been thriving since opening in the spring of 2017. He’ll soon add a caffeine kick to the winning formula when he opens Grounds & Gold at 4130 South Bowen Road in Dalworthington Gardens.
His sweet treats have been featured at a few local hotspots, and have become a fan-favorite at Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival events and game days at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Ahern is now ready for the next big step ― opening his own coffee shop featuring his scratch-made baked goods. It will be a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, complete with meeting and event space. He hopes it will be open by the end of January or early February.
The shop will be in a shopping center called Gardens Town Center. The catering and events arm of Gold Ribbon Confections will still service corporate clients, cater events and will now provide the bakery selection for Grounds & Gold.
“We have partnered with San Antonio-based Merit Coffee. We wanted someone very intentional about sourcing their coffee, and Merit is just that,” Ahern says. There will be a full-range coffee bar featuring beans roasted by Merit, utilizing different craft methods of brewing like popular pour-overs and French press pots, along with two new Slayer espresso machines.
“Arlington is a little behind the curve and could use more craft coffee shops,” he says.
Ahern lost his young son, Micah, to neuroblastoma in the summer of 2016. He honors his memory in everything he does. “I wanted the new place to capture Micah’s spirit. People always left time with him, feeling better about themselves,” he says.
To that end, Ahern has worked with VLK Architects to design a warm and inviting space with a fireplace in the 4,000-square-foot space. He wants to bring in an interactive component as well, where customers can support local charities like Cook Children’s and Make-A-Wish, or by writing encouraging letters to children who are cancer patients.
The space will have a stage for local artists to perform. A separate space will host parties and hopefully even baking and coffee brewing classes. Grounds and Gold is built with community in mind, like every other aspect ― the atmosphere will be intentional.
Along with a wide variety of cakes, pies and Ahern’s specialty cheesecakes, he’ll be serving soups like Italian wedding and seasonal salads in partnership with a local produce stand. Deli-style sandwiches will be presented on freshly baked bread.