European-style coffee shop opens in Johnson County, replacing longtime drive-in
When Luka Pivk moved from Croatia to the Kansas City area to be with his wife, Michaela Krueger, he struggled to find coffee that compared to what he was used to at home.
And Pivk knows coffee — he was a barista in Europe at the time he and Krueger met.
So the couple decided to open their own coffee shop, Dolce Caffè, which aims to please expats and natives alike. It soft opened this week at 435 S. Parker St. in Olathe and celebrates its grand opening Friday night with giveaways, music, food and a shaved ice truck.
All the coffee drinks are made from Julius Meinl, one of the most popular coffee brands in Europe and Pivk’s favorite.
On the menu: macchiatos, lattes, Americanos, cappuccinos, cortados and more.
The shop will serve a variety of European pastries, including burek: a Balkan pastry filled with beef, onions, spinach and feta. Macarons, cookies, croissants and more are made by Joli Bakes.
Pivk said it’s been a busy few days at the shop. The store’s been active on social media, which is where many of their customers have discovered the new business. Some have enjoyed it so much, they’ve come back multiple times this week.
“Meeting the people and talking to the people — that’s the part I really like,” Pivk said.
The shop’s motto is the Italian phrase “dolce far niente.” (In English, that’s “the sweetness of doing nothing.”)
The saying is posted a few times around the shop, both on a canvas and in a neon sign on the wall.
The cafe is replacing an Olathe drive-in of more than 50 years. The first opened in 1963, then a franchise of Tastee Freez, the “original” soft serve ice cream company. It changed names and hands a few times: becoming Tastee Treat, then Tastee Foodz before closing a few years ago.
An affogato on the menu is called “an ode to Tastee Treat.”
Pivk is also planning an order ahead app with curbside delivery to stay competitive. (A Starbucks and Scooters aren’t far from the shop.)
When the grand opening party kicks off at 5 p.m., the first 50 customers will receive free coffee. The party will run until about 9 p.m.
Dolce Caffè is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.