Openings & Closings

International cafe, bakery to open first Kansas City area location in Johnson County

A bakery and coffee shop coming to Johnson county gets its name from its founder’s belief that 85ºC (about 185 degrees Fahrenheit) is the ideal temperature for brewing coffee. Sea-salt coffees are among its specialties.
A bakery and coffee shop coming to Johnson county gets its name from its founder’s belief that 85ºC (about 185 degrees Fahrenheit) is the ideal temperature for brewing coffee. Sea-salt coffees are among its specialties. Courtesy of 85ºC Bakery Cafe

A bakery chain hailing from Taiwan is looking to open its first Kansas City area location.

Known for its sea salt-topped coffee and pastries, 85°C Bakery Cafe plans to open a spot at 12061 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park, according to city documents.

The new spot, near Old Navy and a newly opened Aldi, will begin serving customers in mid-2025, a representative with the company said. It will take over the old Red Shoes space.

Once it opens, the bakery will sell international treats: ube bread, milk toast, croissants, cinnamon twists, custard buns and more.

Its drink menu includes boba tea, lattes, Americanos, Vietnamese coffee and lychee tea.

85°C Bakery Cafe was founded in 2003 after Cheng-Hsueh Wu visited a cafe in a five-star hotel and was taken aback by its expensive prices, according to the chain’s website. He sought to create something of similar quality that was much more attainable.

Its name comes from what Wu thought to be the perfect brewing temperature for coffee.

The first 85°C Bakery Cafe in the U.S. opened in Irvine, California, in 2008. Today, it has spots across California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Hawaii and Arizona.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Paris Baguette is looking to open four locations in the Kansas City area. Two will open in Overland Park in 2025: West 95th Street and Nieman Road near Oak Park Mall, and one later at 15895 Metcalf Ave.

Another South Korean bakery chain, Tous le Jours, has been open in Overland Park at 10348 Metcalf Ave. for close to a decade.

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Jenna Thompson
The Kansas City Star
Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.
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