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☕️ Decades of shaping specialty coffee

KC Made: How The Roasterie in KC influenced specialty coffee worldwide

The Roasterie factory moved to its 27th Street location in 2006. | Photo by KCtoday

The Roasterie is one of Kansas City’s oldest craft coffee operations. It started in 1993, roasting coffee in a Brookside home. This year, the brand has 13 stores and is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Here’s the story of how one local began with a machine in his basement and ultimately became a global influence in specialty coffee.

Basement beans to global boards

KC_The Roasterie first roaster Brookside basement — Danny’s first roaster and converted basement, circa 1993.
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Photo by The Roasterie via Trozzolo.

By the time founder Danny O’Neill had his first roasting machine installed and his basement up to code, he had about $1,000 to his name — but The Roasterie was born. A year after “knocking on doors all day, every day,” Danny had another employee and his first headquarters — at 1519 Cherry St., KCMO.

Over the years, Danny led the charge on local partnerships and relationships with coffee producers — plus, highlighting single-origin beans and the names of its farmers.

“No one was really doing that,” said Isaac Hodges of FairWave Coffee Collective. “He’s done things that kind of steered the direction of where specialty coffee was heading.”

Ultimately, the business grew, and Danny ended up serving as president of the Specialty Coffee Association of America — a nonprofit that unifies the global standards and practices behind high-quality coffee.

Thinking in terms of decades

Photo of The Roasterie canning station — Expect canned almond milk lattes coming soon.
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Photo by KCtoday

“I love it when brands turn decades and you celebrate decades of life,” Isaac said. “What really has brought The Roasterie into this point is the community that has surrounded it.”

Celebrations coming this year will include a parking lot party and giving back to 30 local nonprofits (to be announced in June).

As for the next decade? Consistency for coffee, support for local brands, canned lattes, and more cafés.

“We’re in 13 cafés now. We’re adding two more in the next three or four months on the Roasterie side,” Isaac said. “Hopefully grow our café footprint to 20 or so.”

More Foundations stories

Events

Wednesday, May 17

Garment District Grooves | Wednesday, May 17 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | 8th Street + Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, MO | Free | Listen to live music in the Garment District with the option to purchase lunch from a food truck.

Thursday, May 18

Inspire! A Gordon Parks Student Photography Exhibition | Thursday, May 18 | 6-8 p.m. | Kansas City Art Institute, 4415 Warwick Blvd., Kansas City, MO | Free | Kick off this student-driven art exhibit with a documentary and complimentary wine, beer, and heavy appetizers.
Leavenworth Twisted Wine & Beer Tour | Thursday, May 18 | 6-9 p.m. | The Exchange (PX), 330 Ave., Fort Leavenworth, KS | $40 | This tour includes stops at Weston Winery, 11Worth Brewery, and Z&M Twisted Vines Winery.

Friday, May 19

Friday Night Sound Bites: Just Add Water | Friday, May 19 | 7-10 p.m. | Lenexa Public Market, 8750 Penrose Lane, Lenexa, KS | Free | Llive music and rotating, local food trucks on the patio every Friday night.
Thomas Rhett | Friday, May 19 | 7:30 p.m. | T-Mobile Center | $25-$105 | This country star’s “Home Team Tour 23" includes featured artists Cole Swindell and Nate Smith.

Saturday, May 20

AAPICONIC | Saturday, May 20 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Columbus Square Park, Missouri Ave. + Holmes St., Kansas City, MO | $0 | This community event is hosted by Cafe Cà Phê and celebrates the Asian American and Pacific Islander community with music, vendors, and 1990s nostalgia.
Downtown Hoedown with Billy Currington | Saturday, May 20 | 8 p.m. | KC Live! at The Power & Light District, 13 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO | $35 | Miller Lite presents the annual Downtown Hoedown, hosted by Billy Currington with special guest Kylie Morgan.*

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Edu

🎓 Help KC Scholars “Fill Our Cap” on Giving Day

Two men stand wearing graduation robes and caps

KC Scholars can help you make your career and college graduation dreams a reality. | Photo by Lillian James Creative

ICYMI, today is National Graduation Tassel Day. To celebrate, we’re asking Kansas Citians to fill KC Scholars’ cap — their graduation cap, that is.

From traditional college scholarships to fully funded job training programs, KC Scholars provides an opportunity to break down systemic barriers and open the doors to sustainable career opportunities, which, in turn, builds a stronger Kansas City for all of us.

Donations made will support KC Scholars’ scholarship programs.

Ready to give?*

Make a donation

News Notes

Development

Project and government leaders officially kicked off the Rock Island Bridge project yesterday. Construction crews began mobilizing earlier this year. The bridge district is three football fields long and is expected to open in spring next year.

Sports

The Kansas City Monarchs home opener is this Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m. against the Sioux Fall Canaries. As part of the Greater Kansas City Day celebration, you can purchase two tickets, plus a hat and pennant, for $20 at certain locations.

Biz

Six metro companies made the Inc. 2023 Best Workplaces list, comprised of 591 US businesses with top-tier company culture. Coming from the KC area: 27 Global, Chief of Staff Kansas City, Crema, CrowdPharm, Crux KC, and Text In Church. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Open

Kolaches and Coffee recently opened in Overland Park — at 7214 W. 119th St. The shop is named after a special Czech pastry and inspired by the owner’s grandmother. The shop also sells empanadas and high-quality Colombian coffee. (Kansas City Star)

Pets

Have a drink — it’s for the kittens. 15 businesses are hosting Caturday in the Crossroads on Sunday, May 21. The bar crawl event will raise money for KC Pet Project; specifically, the 7,500 cats they expect to care for this year. Tickets include cat swag and kitten snuggles. (Flatland)

Community

The KC Streetcar Main Street Extension team is hosting another drop-in event tomorrow, May 18 at Buttonwood Financial Group and Art Space — 3013 Main St., KCMO. Come from 4-6 p.m. with your questions, chat with the professionals, and enjoy a sweet treat from Betty Rae’s.

Active

Happy Bike Month, Kansas City. This May, the Mid-America Regional Council is celebrating all things pedal power. Explore community events from around the region, video stories with people who ride, and resources (like the Regional Trails + Bikeways Map) to get our city biking. Hint: Bikes are for everybody.*

Travel

How does Going work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and get notified when flights are 40-90% off. Bonus: You can browse deals immediately after signing up (like a ~$575 round trip to Fiji).*

Today Is

Today Is World Baking Day. To celebrate, shop our online store (Six & Main), which features Sourhouse, a company that creates simple tools for sourdough bakers to care for their starters. You might just knead it. Start shopping now.

Fun Fact

What’s the deal with The Roasterie airplane?

What’s the deal with The Roasterie’s rooftop airplane?

Give us a cup of coffee, and we’re ready for liftoff too. | Photo by The Roasterie via Trozzolo

If you’re driving on Southwest Boulevard or north on I-35 toward downtown, you’ve probably noticed a giant airplane frozen mid-takeoff, hoisted on curved metal supports on top of The Roasterie Factory Cafe.

How did it end up there? What was the reason? All good questions — and we’re here to answer them.

Meet Betty

First and foremost — the plane’s name is Betty, named after founder Danny O’Neill’s mom. She was placed in 2012, crane lifted the same year the Factory Café opened to the public.

The DC-3 plane is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft that “revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 40s,” according to The Roasterie.

The aircraft’s significance

“DC-3’s just like ours were often used to haul coffee beans around the globe,” the company’s website states.

The airplane is also symbolic of how the company originally roasted its coffee. Air roasting blasts the beans with heated air as the beans are rotated. You can see the plane in the company’s logo.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Travis

From the editor

Speaking of the West Bottoms (re: the first News Note), anyone notice the street repaving efforts underway? My car’s struts are breathing sighs of relief every time I get to 12th Street at the bottom of the viaduct. Check out the city’s resurfacing progress here. We love an interactive map.

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