Closing KCK’s Black-owned coffee shop opens opportunity for Kinship to brew bigger, owner says
February 1, 2025 | Taylor Wilmore
When TJ Roberts posted on social media about closing Kinship Cafe, a Black-owned coffee shop in Kansas City’s Strawberry Hill neighborhood, he was surprised by the outpouring of support — a morale boost that not only gives him the spirit to keep fighting for the business, but expand it, he said.
“When we posted about shutting down, I didn’t expect the responses. People are still reaching out,” said Roberts, who opened Kinship Cafe in 2021.
Despite the logistical challenges of running the Strawberry Hill coffee shop — not to mention break-ins as part of the citywide crime wave hitting small businesses, along with an inability to reach a long term lease deal with the property owner that would provide needed stability, Roberts said — he’s pushing forward with plans to open two new locations in 2025.
A shop in Independence, Missouri, is set to open in late February, he said, followed by an in-the-works Overland Park, Kansas, location, pending health department approval.
Roberts has not yet announced a closing date for the business in Kansas City, Kansas.
Kinship Cafe in Kansas City, Kansas; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Overcoming early struggles
Opening Kinship Cafe in 2021 was no easy feat, said Roberts, who launched the venture at 719 N. 6th St., KCK, in a former KC Cupcake Factory spot.
TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe, in August 2021; photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News
“Our bar wasn’t even finished yet,” he recalled. “The health department allowed me to move in early and serve out of the garage.”
Without essential equipment like water machines or coffee grinders, Roberts found creative ways to keep the business running.
“I would brew coffee manually, and then serve customers while working behind the bar,” he said. “That was my life for like a month.”
Those early obstacles helped reinforce Roberts’ commitment to building Kinship organically, he said.
“We do this because we believe in it,” Roberts said. “Even If that means I’m not getting paid or I don’t have a place to live, it’s not the end of the world.”
Kinship Cafe in Kansas City, Kansas; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Staying true to the mission
Kinship Cafe was founded with a clear mission: to support and validate Black-owned businesses and communities. That core value remains central to Roberts’ expansion plans, he said.
TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe, speaks at BlendWell Community Cafe, during a Black History Month event in 2023; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
For Kinship, Roberts prioritized sourcing coffee from BIPOC farmers in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Kenya, ensuring that economic impact reaches marginalized communities.
“When we create relationships with coffee farmers, it’s all about seasons and helping them grow sustainably,” Roberts said.
With the two new locations, Roberts hopes to expand Kinship Cafe’s impact, he said.
“We’re not in this to get rich off of other people’s backs,” Roberts said. “We want to create a space where people feel valued, both the farmers and the customers.”
Kinship Cafe showcases and sells art and home-good products from Black creators to support underrepresented entrepreneurs and makers in Kansas City.
This commitment of support also extends to his hiring practices as well, he said.
“All of our team has never worked in coffee before. They’re all BIPOC people who applied to coffee shops but never got the opportunity,” Roberts shared.
TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Raising support for the transition
The upcoming Independence location will be a physically larger footprint for Kinship, boasting 3,000 square feet, he said. It will include a drive-thru, outdoor patio space, a chef-led food program, and an event space.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to bring in more Black brands and more events,” Roberts said.
To help fund the transition and cover expenses, Roberts has launched a GoFundMe campaign.
“Moving is not going to be cheap,” he said. “We want to make sure our team is paid and working while we’re continuing to do this.”
While closing Kinship Cafe’s original location is bittersweet, Roberts remains optimistic, he said.
“We’ve already had people asking, ‘Where’s Kinship Cafe?’” he said. “There’s a lot of eyes on us now, and that’s a good thing. It means we’re doing something right.”
View this post on Instagram
Taylor Wilmore
Taylor Wilmore, hailing from Lee’s Summit, is a dedicated reporter and a recent graduate of the University of Missouri, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Taylor channels her deep-seated passion for writing and storytelling to create compelling narratives that shed light on the diverse residents of Kansas City.
Prior to her role at Startland News, Taylor made valuable contributions as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian newspaper, where she covered a wide range of community news and higher education stories.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
New owners for Bo Lings’ Plaza location; here’s what the beloved restaurant is adding to its menu
Change is on the way for a longtime staple of the Kansas City food scene: Bo Lings — the Chinese restaurant chain founded by Bo “Richard” Ng and Far “Theresa” Ling in 1981 — has partnered with W.VinZant Restaurants to reimagine its Country Club Plaza location with more contemporary and expansive Asian cuisine. The new…
Prospect KC brews coffee bar collab with Messenger inside iconic downtown KC library
A reimagined coffee shop — closed during the pandemic — returns to full strength Aug. 7 thanks to a menu of pastries, sandwiches, and salads prepared by The Prospect KC culinary students in a live-training environment, as well as drinks and coolers crafted with Messenger Coffee Co. The 1,350-square-foot coffee bar and café — dubbed…
Cookies have taken over Sweet Kiss, but this mother-daughter brigadeiro shop has even more baked inside
For Jessica Harris, a brigadeiro offers a taste of home, she said, and for almost a decade, she’s been sharing those Brazilian truffles with Kansas City. When the Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro co-founder relocated to the City of Fountains in 1996 — following her sister who moved the year before to play basketball for Penn Valley…
Catalyst Fund tops $2M invested in nonprofits boosting people of color; meet the latest grantees
The latest batch of Catalyst Fund grants — a combined $500,000 across nearly two dozen organizations — seeks to elevate the work of small nonprofits that are led by or primarily serve Black, Latino, and other people of color across the region, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace. “Looking across the list of organizations in this third…