Teresa Bloodworth’s first love has always been putting foodstuff in an oven and making magic. She’s loved baking since childhood, relishing fond memories of helping her mom bake various desserts for their large family of seven children.
“I grew up in a home where my mother was always baking cakes, pies, and cookies from scratch,” she said. “We never had store-bought desserts.”
All those years spent helping her mom made Teresa yearn to own her own bakery one day, but the older she became, the further away that dream seemed. By the time she married, had a son, divorced, and became a single mom, Teresa’s bakery dream had pretty much gone stale. Instead, she focused on raising her son, Corey.
“I decided that I would someday own my own bakery, but, as a single mom, I always put that dream aside,” she said. “Raising Corey on my own was a task. I couldn’t, as a mom, focus on myself when funds were tight. Time was precious. I wanted to focus my time on being there for him.”
Little did she know she was grooming a future business partner.
Corey became a latte-loving, tattooed twentysomething who dreamed of opening a coffee shop.
“The idea of a coffee shop came to me right after I got my first barista job at [a church] a few years ago,” Corey said.
Instead of starting out on his own, he decided to recruit his mom. He would make and sell coffee. She would make and sell baked goods.
The 51-year-old mom and 24-year-old son are set to open CRUDE Craft Coffee Bar this fall. They have leased a 1,500 square-foot space at 804 S. Main St. in a building that has been many things over the years, including what they believe to be a men’s homeless shelter at one point.
About 10 years ago, Teresa took a couple of semesters of culinary pastry classes at the Culinary School of Fort Worth, earning a two-semester certificate in what little time she could spare. This led to a side business of baking custom cakes from home as a source of extra income. Her baking income, combined with her full-time gig as a packaging specialist at the corporate offices of Pier 1 Imports in Fort Worth, was enough to get by until Corey began working.
In his late teens, Corey didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life as he enrolled at Tarrant County College in 2012. He transferred to UNT later but decided in 2014 that college wasn’t for him.
“I’ve always wanted to open a business,” he said. “I just never knew what kind of business.”
Corey had several lengthy conversations with his mom about his business dreams. Eventually, he realized they’d be more successful if they chased their goals together.
“I really became serious about opening a business when Corey took a job as a barista [in 2016] and fell in love with it,” Teresa said. “He later took a position at another coffee shop and started encouraging me to proceed with my dream. He sold me on the idea when he discussed the possibilities of working together to create a craft coffee bar that sells in-house, freshly baked desserts.”
Teresa’s passion for creative culinary work was passed down to another generation. Corey doesn’t do much baking but is talented at brewing coffee and also whipping up some pretty cool latte art.
“Corey has been my motivator throughout this whole process,” Teresa said. “We both went through ups and downs with this whole process, but I continued to proceed, as I didn’t want to let him down. I want to leave this dream of ours as his future legacy.”
Once all of the details were finalized, the duo scouted a slew of locations until they found their new home on Main. Teresa described the search as a Goldilocks and the Three Bears-type scenario.
“Some were too expensive, too small, the wrong area,” she said.
Their real estate agent discussed the growth of South Main. They were shown a recently remodeled building and knew it was a fit. They specifically like the area’s artsy, non-corporate vibe.
“Imagine a cigar lounge meets a speakeasy,” Corey said.
“Also with a little bit of Hollywood glamour peppered in, a chandelier over the main dining area, and subtle gold accents on the furniture,” Teresa added.
Teresa intends to whip up a full menu, including a rotating array of baked goods and homemade breakfast tacos.
“A new business is like a baby,” Teresa said. “It requires care and nurturing for growth and to see success.”
Corey added, “We definitely want to make our mark on Fort Worth.”
