KC Current players opening ‘very big’ new coffee shop in the Crossroads
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Six KC Current players will launch Pitchside Coffee's first brick-and-mortar cafe.
- New 5,000-square-foot cafe set to open in about three weeks in the Crossroads.
- Owners plan community engagement and expanded menu beyond current trailer offerings.
One year after launching their mobile coffee business, six Kansas City Current soccer players are opening a brick-and-mortar cafe in the Crossroads.
Pitchside Coffee is opening a 5,000-square-foot spot at 1819 Grand Blvd. It’s supposed to begin serving its caffeinated kicks in the next three weeks or so.
Pitchside is owned by teammates Kristen Hamilton (forward), Elizabeth Ball (center defender) Hailie Mace (midfielder), Vanessa DiBenardo (midfielder) and Mallory Weber (defender), as well as former midfielder Desiree Scott.
Asked how many people will fit inside the space, Hamilton laughed and said, “a lot.”
“It has a little indoor, outdoor garage space — just a really cool building,” she said. “We’re really excited about it. … It’s a very big space.”
Plus, as a nod to Current fans, there will be TVs in the space to catch soccer games.
While Pitchside customers will recognize many of the items from the mobile business at the cafe, Hamilton teased a special menu. They aren’t quite ready to announce specific offerings yet.
For the past year, Pitchside has been rolling around the metro, serving drinks at pop-up events and at CPKC Stadium.
But Hamilton and the other players have long dreamed of launching something that would engage community members on a regular basis. The new cafe, which will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, aims to do just that.
“It was always what we envisioned, but it wasn’t quite feasible upfront,” Hamilton said. “Just being able to serve the community better and do what we do.”
While the players will have a full-time staff, they plan to help out when they can between soccer practice and other business ventures.
The players and friends have always loved to frequent coffee shops when they travel for games. They first dreamed up Pitchside at a coffee shop in Florida after a day of preseason training.
After bouncing around ideas, the six of them figured a coffee trailer would be a better compromise.
“Hold up,” Hamilton said, recalling the conversation in a previous interview with The Star. “This is something we could actually do because the coffee truck lends to our schedules.”
As for the name, a “pitch” is another word for a soccer field.
The new coffee shop won’t be too far from Messenger Coffee at 1624 Grand Blvd.
Meanwhile, another coffee shop is opening soon in downtown Kansas City. Mexican-inspired Veil Cafe is also opening this summer at 800 Broadway Blvd.
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 4:19 PM.