Messenger Coffee Co.

Plaza food hall returns with Lula’s, Guy’s, J. Rieger and more KC foodie favorites inside

A hotel food hall — just up the hill from a main artery of the Country Club Plaza — is planning a restaurant rally this week; reopening its shared culinary experience with some of the Kansas City food scene’s biggest local brands and a food hall rarity: full-service. Under new management, a new name, and…

After coffee, calm: Messenger co-founder, partner envision West Bottoms bathhouse as retreat from what has been

Nearly a year in the works, a first floor space in an 1890s-era West Bottoms warehouse is open and envisioned as the place for a “ritual of pause.” Klā Sanctuary — with its special spa baths and body-oriented treatments — and the tea-focused Selah Lounge share the 6,000-square-foot spot at 1400 W. 13th St. Matthew…

Exited founders: Face the tough conversations first; avoid a messy post-honeymoon breakup

Preparing for an exit begins with co-founder alignment at the startup’s launch, three veteran Kansas City founders agreed. “You are getting married to your founders,” explained Tony Caudill, who co-founded two tech startups with his best friend — including aware3, which was acquired in 2018 by Nelnet. “Just like when you find your mate of…

Isaac Hodges, Messenger Coffee Company, and Dan Trott, FairWave Holdings

Fairwave adds another Minneapolis coffee company to its fresh-brewed collective alongside Messenger, Roasterie

FairWave Coffee Collective has pulled another shot of growth, serving up news Tuesday of its acquisition of a second Minneapolis-based purveyor in as many years.  “We are thrilled to welcome Up Coffee Roasters to the FairWave collective,” Suzanne Gunning, vice president of marketing, said in a release.  The acquisition keeps Kansas City-based FairWave on track with…

Daniel Smith and Charon Thompson, Black Drip Coffee, The Porter House KC

Coffee for the culture: Porter House KC founders partner with Messenger to craft Black-owned coffee brand

Black Drip Coffee brewed from within a desire to bring coffee culture to historically disenfranchised and underserved communities, said Charon Thompson and Daniel Smith.  “It’s more than coffee,” noted Smith, who co-founded the brand, Black Drip Coffee, as well as the Porter House KC with Thompson. “We always talk about breaking down barriers and creating…