New Westport coffee shop hopes to crown a fresh local favorite in the spot that launched Ruby Jean’s

Move over, office coffee pot; Tamara Grubb’s workspace brews its own premium drinks

Tamara Grubb was just looking for a nice office space when she walked into a Westport building — a long-ago gas station with a distinctive double-A frame roof that once launched the popular Ruby Jean’s Juicery brand.

Her first thought: This space wasn’t meant to be an office.

A line of fresh drinks at Triple Crown Coffee + Eats + Events; courtesy photo

It was destined to become a coffee shop — a vision she brought to reality in October when she opened Triple Crown Coffee + Eats + Events in the building at 4001 Broadway Blvd.

The shop offers espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, matcha, cold brew, tea, Americano, cocoa, milkshakes, smoothies, and other drinks.

“I’ve bought a lot of coffee in my life and I like the vibe of coffee shops so this is a really cool experience,” said Grubb, noting she runs her nonprofit consulting company on a laptop at one of the back tables.

She also likes being around other locally owned businesses in Westport.

“They’ve been so welcoming,” Grubb said.

Triple Crown Coffee + Eats + Events at 4001 Broadway Blvd. in Westport; photo by Joyce Smith

The Triple Crown name fit with Chiefs Kingdom, the Kansas City Royals, the Biblical number for wholeness (three), and as a sign of excellence, she explained.

A smoothie from Triple Crown Coffee + Eats + Events; courtesy photo

Grubb’s food menu includes sandwiches made from New York bagels ($10 with chips and a 20-ounce tea or lemonade), along with sausage and gravy roll-ups (sausage and gravy rolled up in pastry), and other breakfast items.

It features cookies, cake pops, Greek yogurt parfaits, fruit cups and more, as well as gluten-free pastries and snacks. Grubb uses different local bakeries, but makes the cinnamon rolls in-house.

Her daughter, Savannah Vazquez, is often behind the counter and handles social media for the cafe. 

Each window pane on the front of the building — more than 50 — reflects such inspirational sayings as “You Matter,” “Be awesome today” and “Life is Brewtiful.” Grubb hopes one or more might lift someone’s day, she said.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; closed Sundays.

The building has housed a variety of businesses: the first incarnation of Ruby Jean’s, a service station, campaign headquarters, gallery, used car lot, a shop selling goods from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and yes, even offices.

Grubb plans to put tables and chairs on the front patio this spring. The spot also has a walled-in patio with an abstract yellow and lavender mural in back.

Her consulting business, Living Bold, helps other nonprofits with strategic planning and fundraising services.

Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follower on X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.