Layne Stracener
Editorial Assistant

PH Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee shop, will soon open in Pendleton Heights on the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and Brooklyn Avenue with the overarching goal of community connection.

Co-owners Adeison Bliss, Eric Rosell, Jarred Donalson and Alex Merrell hope to have everything completed by August 10, when they plan to open the doors for people to see the progress, Bliss said.

Their goal is to officially open the shop by September 1.

The owners decided to create PH Coffee because community members expressed their desire to see a coffee shop in that location and the owners think Pendleton Heights would benefit from a community gathering space in the heart of the neighborhood, Bliss said.

Rosell said through this coffee shop, he wants to bring different cultures together.

“We’d love to walk into this space and see not just the neighborhood but Kansas City represented,” Rosell said. “Maybe at first they’re at different tables, but after a couple weeks they’re actually talking to each other. Just a space that’s safe, fun, family-oriented, and where people can just know their neighbors.”

The owners do not live in the Northeast, but they wanted to open a community gathering space in the Northeast because of the diversity, Donalson said.

“You have people from every imaginable stretch in life, and that’s part of what drew us here,” Donalson said. “It’s this cool historic place and there’s also everyone you could ever want to meet in Kansas City. You don’t get that everywhere.”

Eventually, the owners plan to add sandwiches and collaborate with different cultural restaurants to add their items to the menu.

“We’re trying to bring these things together in a spot where a number of people would enjoy a more well-rounded menu,” Bliss said.

The owners also plan to collaborate with businesses such as Scratch Bakery KC, Eleos Coffee and Hammerhand Coffee to include some of their menu items on PH Coffee’s menu, Rosell said.
Hammerhand Coffee Co-owner Alex Merrell will roast their coffee beans. The owners also said they want to collaborate with SplitLog Coffee, a coffee shop opening on Olive Street near PH Coffee.

“It’s not about us,” Rosell said. “It’s about Kansas City, and we feel like this is a prime spot to have that concept bloom.”

A family focus is also important to the owners, Bliss said, so they plan to create a contained space in the coffee shop for children to play.

Bliss said they want to make sure to accommodate everyone.

“We want to bridge all the different ways you hang out in a coffee shop, making sure that there are spaces for you to work, spaces for you to meet, and spaces for you to relax,” Bliss said.
The owners are asking for the community’s support with a Kickstarter campaign. With that support, Bliss said, they will be able to open the shop quicker and move on to the next goals such as getting speciality food items, a cocktail bar, a children’s space and an outdoor patio.

The project will only be funded if they reach their goal of $15,000 by July 21. All contributors will have their names posted in the shop, and contributors that donate $50 or more will receive other benefits such as free coffee.

Rosell said the number one goal is to open the coffee shop and keep it open.

“I hope this will be a legacy project where I can take my little girl when she’s not so little anymore and tell her, ‘This is a spot where community happens,’” Rosell said.

For more information on PH Coffee and the link to the Kickstarter campaign, visit the PH Coffee Facebook page.