The Black Pantry’s new retail-coffee spot is far from copy and paste, owner says; offers fresh taste of Good Karma
January 22, 2025 | Taylor Wilmore
A new store on Gillham Road fuses retail and coffee culture, creating what Brian Roberts calls an “elevated Black coffee space” that moves beyond the transactional nature of traditional coffee shops.
“I like my store concepts to be a representation of me,” Roberts told Startland News.
The shared space at 3134 Gillham Rd. blends The Black Pantry and the newly launched Good Karma Coffee (both owned by Roberts); currently operating on an invite-only basis in preparation for a full launch Feb. 1.
“Every Saturday we’ve been doing things like inviting different groups, playing with our menu, and getting the team some experience,” he explained. “I’d say I’ve attracted some of the best baristas in the city.”
Roberts sees the partnership between Good Karma Coffee and The Black Pantry — which relocated in late 2024 from its longtime location within Made in KC’s Midtown storefront — as a natural fit, stirring his mission to elevate Black-owned products into a fresh roast of coffee culture.
“Food and beverage typically get more attention than retail,” Roberts said. “Retail is hard, and that’s why I wanted to combine them together.”
Brian Roberts, The Black Pantry, Good Karma Coffee; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
A space for connection
By integrating coffee and retail, Roberts hopes to create a dynamic space where customers can enjoy a cup of coffee while discovering Black-owned brands.
“You might come for the coffee, to discover something new with the products,” he said. “And with coffee, we also can highlight the talents of our baristas in their own right.”
A key focus is customer engagement with those baristas, Roberts emphasized, noting it’s something he believes is missing in most coffee shops.
“If you want to have a pour-over in front of you, the barista can do it while explaining the origins of the coffee, and the roasting processes,” he said. “So, you get this elevated experience one-on-one.”
Team members at The Black Pantry-Good Karma space; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
The shop’s design also encourages connection and comfort.
“I wanted it to feel like an under-a-lobby-bar type of feel,” said Roberts. “We invested a lot into the design. We avoided the hard seating you might see at a lot of regular coffee shops where everybody’s isolated. Here, we put soft seating to make it intimate so people can relax and slow down.”
The shared The Black Pantry-Good Karma Coffee space at 3134 Gillham Rd.; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Jacob Kingsley makes a pour-over coffee, using his brand Flowstate Coffee at the new The Black Pantry-Good Karma space; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Locally sourced, community-focused
The store’s coffee is locally sourced and carefully curated, featuring roasts from such Kansas City businesses as Marcell Coffee. Plans include expanding into beer and wine once a liquor license is secured.
“Eventually, we’ll have wine, along with beer from Vine Street Brewery Co.,” Roberts said.
Good Karma Coffee’s main focus is about building relationships and uplifting local talent, he noted.
“My passion is just connecting people, allowing people to shine in their own right,” Roberts said. “The team has skills in coffee, but they also naturally fit the space.”
With plans to scale Good Karma Coffee, the serial entrepreneur is optimistic about the future while staying committed to quality and community.
“It’s up to me to build something, and I feel like I know where I am as far as a business is to create something cool,” he said. “Coffee culture within Kansas City… It was kind of like copy-paste, very transactional. For us, coffee is about exchange and giving.”
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