Café Equinox propagates new year-round Liberty location; Nelson brothers taking perennial coffee concept evergreen
January 7, 2025 | Joyce Smith
Café Equinox initially was meant to operate its coffee shop concept only during the equinox, nestled inside Family Tree Nursery greenhouses, said Jonah Nelson.
Jesse and Jonah Nelson, Cafe Equinox and Family Tree Nursery; courtesy photo
“From September through March when people don’t have that warm outside space, they can come to the greenhouse,” said Nelson, who operates the family-owned garden centers with his brother, Jessie. “It is like being in the garden. It feeds part of our souls and has become a community space.”
But the Shawnee cafe, at 7036 Nieman Road, “exploded and developed into what it is today. Full-time,” he said of the popular Johns County location that debuted in 2019 — ultimately the first to shift operations to 12 months a year.
From the archives: Fresh coffee concept sprouts in the suburbs
Now the family plans to operate a Café Equinox trailer year-round inside the greenhouse of their Liberty store at 830 W. Liberty Drive. It is scheduled to open later this month or in early February.
The Overland Park cafe, in the greenhouse at 8424 Farley St., also will eventually expand to year-round.
Cafe Equinox’s new coffee trailer concept, slated for the Family Tree Nursery location in Liberty; photo by Joyce Smith
Jesse Nelson and Bo Nelson, Cafe Equinox
Bo Nelson, brother of Jonah and Jessie, is founder and owner of Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters, which plays a integral role within the Café Equinox brand.
In addition to coffee from Thou Mayest, Café Equinox’s menu includes teas and tea lattes. It also serves pastries from Heirloom Bakery & Hearth in East Brookside, as well as some from Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee in Mission. On Saturdays, the cafes feature cinnamon rolls.
Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follow her on Blue Sky, here for X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Photos: Founders score electric vibes, human connections with Startup Crawl’s return
Even tech startups benefit from one-on-one conversations with peers and the public, founders said, reflecting on the connections, collisions and real-time feedback earlier this month during Startland News’ Startup Crawl in downtown Kansas City’s Power & Light District. “It was an incredible experience that allowed for free-flow conversations and engaging activities between myself and the…
How Kelly Clarkson’s well-timed Father’s Day gift boosted a KC entrepreneur’s nonprofit
Life’s recent whirlwind initially shocked James Hogue — the newly-minted “rad dad” who earned a shoutout (and a couple thousand dollars) on the Father’s Day edition of Kelly Clarkson’s hit daytime talk show. “My first thought was, ‘Is this really happening?’” the Kansas City dad and certified doula said. The founder of Fathers Assisting Mothers…
Venture Noire is ready to activate KC with focus on improving outcomes for Black entrepreneurs
Venture Noire comes to Kansas City late this month with a two-day event to help early-stage entrepreneurs plan their next moves and reintroduce the Northwest Arkansas-based nonprofit to local business owners. Planned for June 26-27 at Keystone CoLAB, the “KC’s Playbook for Entrepreneurial Excellence” event is expected to feature a boot camp with workshops on…
Wild Way closing: Coffee camper drips bittersweet blend of emotions as owner’s cup runs dry
Nearly six years after she began serving lattes in her popular Wild Way coffee camper, Christine Clutton is saying goodbye to the business at the end of the month, she confirmed. Wild Way Coffee — featured on the Peacock series “The Simple Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” and approved by KC-raised actor Jason Sudeikis —…