KC coffee shop, bakery just closed. Now it’s reopening, with some changes
Austin Morris, like a lot of people in midtown, was disappointed to hear Enchante was closing.
He attends Trinity Church next door, so he’d stop by the 3934 Main St. space often for coffee and pastries. When owner Heather White explained that they’d decided to close the location because of break-ins and streetcar construction, he looked at his wife, Kristin, and said, “I think we can do this.”
“It’s just a really beautiful space,” Austin Morris said. “From what we were seeing on their Instagram page and everything, the community just wasn’t ready to let the spot go.”
Morris acquired the spot and is reopening it April 19. For now, it’ll be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
While he’s keeping the same bakery staff and many of the same pastries customers know and love, there will be a few changes.
Most noticeably, the name is changing to Soli Deo Coffee + Bakery, a Latin phrase meaning, “to God alone.” The full phrase is “soli Deo gloria,” which means “to God alone be the glory,” and is one of the five solas statements of the Protestant faith.
“My wife and I are believers, and we just want to carry our faith into the businesses that we pursue and how we treat people,” he said. “We wanna welcome people in here … and serve them, and create a fun, friendly space for everybody.”
White opened Enchante two years ago and also owns Tailleur and Cheval nearby, which remain open.
While Enchante was more focused on the bakery side of things, Morris said he really wants to “dial in” on the coffee quality. He’s serving espresso drinks with beans supplied by Chingu Coffee, a shop at 1201 W. 47th St.
Morris said his goal is to keep the same aesthetic, feel and goods that White already established while carrying it forward.
Updates to the spot will be pretty minimal. Morris said he liked the design — “there’s really nothing like it in Kansas City” — but he hopes to accommodate more customers when the streetcar expansion opens this summer.
He’s looking into ways to add more seating outside for customers to enjoy in the spring and summertime.
It’s a quick turnaround for Morris. Enchante closed just a few weeks ago. (Granted, it helps that the space and employees were already ready.)
Since the store announced on its Instagram that it was reopening, fans have been chiming in with excitement.
“This is the best news ever!! I’m so glad one of my favorite spots will still be open!” one customer wrote.
“I’m so happy!!” said another.
Morris is looking forward to the public’s reaction to the space once it opens.
“We hope that people are gonna love this spot, and we’re gonna work our best to try to make this one of the best coffee spots in Kansas City,” he said.