Throughout 2025, Community Impact spoke with the owners and leadership of restaurants and cafes to be featured in our monthly editions. Here’s a look back at the 10 dining businesses featured in Community Impact’s Prosper-Celina edition in 2025.
1. Toasted Walnut offers “craveable” menu in Celina
Toasted Walnut Table and Market owners Audria Weimer and Amy Hegar said they want the restaurant to offer a welcoming environment to anyone who visits. Weimer said the staff at Toasted Walnut “love to serve” and her hope is that customers have an elevated dining experience when they come into the restaurant.
2. Kolache Shoppe partners with local restaurants at Celina store
Soon after Jake and Courtney Poulsen, along with Courtney’s parents, Cindy and Gary Mechler, opened a Kolache Shoppe franchise in Celina in January 2024, they started forging partnerships with Celina restaurants to source ingredients for their made-fresh-daily kolaches. Some of the popular kolache specials featuring local flavors have been the wagyu cheeseburger from The Forge 1912, brisket chile from Toasted Walnut and coconut cream pie from Lucy’s on the Square.
3. The Nook serves “country club comfort food” in Celina
The Nook serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Popular menu items include the brussel salad, which has a spicy chili dressing, and the Southwest salad featuring chipotle ranch dressing. Other top sellers include flatbreads and burgers.The menu also has kid friendly items such as chicken strips and corndog bites.
4. Fish City Grill offers unique seafood dining experience
Owners and Co-founders Bill and Lovett Bayne opened Fish City Grill with the hopes of bringing people in for the food but getting them to come back because of the environment and community that is built in each store, the couple said. The seafood restaurant in Prosper serves a variety of seafood dishes including shrimp and chicken penne alfredo, blackened rainbow trout and fresh oysters with a specialty dish of oyster nachos. Other fan favorites include the fish and chips and fish tacos.
5. Celina Star Cafe offers traditional, trending fare
Celina Star Cafe offers cafe staples such as pancakes and eggs along with other favorites. The breakfast menu offers a variety of options including biscuits and gravy, omelets, waffles, stuffed French toast and crepes. Lunch options include short rib grilled cheese, cheeseburger wrap, chicken bacon ranch panini and chicken fried steak.
6. Simply Pho House serves up more than pho in Celina
Although husband-and-wife Tony Nguyen and Mary Wong’s restaurant is named Simply Pho House, the business owners said their menu encompasses much more than pho options. Popular menu items include shrimp spring rolls, beef pho, stir fry noodles and stir fry protein dishes.
7. The Wick intentionally offers simple menu in Celina
When husband and wife team Cleve and Kim Wickliffe opened The Wick in 2024, they did so with Cleve Wickliffe’s tried-and-true recipe for scratch-made cinnamon rolls and other recipes he created by tapping into an inherited culinary affinity. The top three menu items at The Wick are the Classic Swirl cinnamon roll, breakfast taco and their candied bacon appetizer.
8. La Finca serves Mexican cuisine, locally roasted coffee in Prosper
The food and bakery menu features authentic Mexican cuisine not Tex-Mex. Owner Lee Gonzales said the top selling breakfast item is chilaquiles, which they make with house-made sauteed corn tortilla chips, red or green sauce, purple onions, crema and a protein choice of egg or chicken.
9. Heyday finds success in cross-utilizing ingredients in Celina
The menu, which changes twice a year, is under the direction of Executive Chef Joey Dawkins. Co-owner Michael McGowan credits Wilborn Blalock for developing Heyday’s bar program. Dr. Feelgood, featuring Old Grand-dad Bonded bourbon, smoked peach, brown sugar and bitters is a top selling cocktail. Another crowd-pleaser is their espresso martini.
10. Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli showcases Italian culture in Celina
Owner Jason Algiere said their doughs, sauces, dressings and desserts are all made in house. Pizzas are their top selling menu category with their “Big Pig,” which is like a supreme pizza, being the top requested pie. A variety of meats and cheeses, which are sliced to order, can be purchased from the deli section. The market is stocked with 98% imported items from Italy including wine, pastas, spices and teas.
Dining and Cooking