New Johnson County cafe coming soon, with vintage vibe. ‘Think ‘70s ski lodge’
A new cafe is coming to Shawnee — bringing a vintage-style hangout to the growing Johnson County downtown area.
While the coffee concept is brand new, its founders are no strangers to the Kansas City coffee community.
Josh Greenlee, owner of Seleno Coffee, is opening a concept with Nick Robertson, one of the co-founders of Messenger Coffee, and David Weber. Greenlee and Weber worked together at The Filling Station.
Together, they’ll bring Current State Coffee to 11217 Johnson Drive soon, potentially in January.
While Seleno is not far away at 6320 Lamar Ave. in Overland Park, Greenlee said he wanted to open a spot in his home city.
“I specifically wanted to open one in downtown Shawnee,” he said. “I snagged this (building), and it’s perfect … We want it to be a community hub.”
Greenlee bragged on the red brick building’s aesthetic, saying the spot has open and arched ceilings that give it a rustic feel. It has a barrel plank roof and heated concrete floors.
The building itself was built in 1932, according to Johnson County property records, and it was most recently home to a medical supplies company.
“It looks like a building that should be in the Crossroads, but it’s in downtown Shawnee,” Greenlee said after describing the space, then added, “Think ‘70s ski lodge.”
The cafe will seat around 50 to 70 customers with outdoor patio space. The trio will roast coffee beans in-house and offer pounds of beans wholesale in addition to its ready-to-drink lattes and pastries.
It won’t have an extensive food menu, but there will be some grab and go options. In true European-style cafe form, the shop will focus mainly on coffee.
“A good value and just really good coffee,” Greenlee said. “That’s really our approach.”
Current State will have a separate section of the bar dedicated to single-origin coffee (coffee that’s from one location as opposed to a blend of different beans). The single-origin bar will have its own espresso machine.
The shop will offer some seasonal offerings in addition to the typical lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos.
“It’s a community hub in Shawnee, somewhere you can get really high-quality coffee,” Greenlee said. “A good cafe experience without having to go downtown or cross state lines.”
A few weeks ago, the city of Shawnee approved a $50,000 SEED loan to help the team open Current State.
SEED loans are forgivable loans from the city to attract new small businesses to the downtown area.
Downtown Shawnee has added several new bars and restaurants in the past couple years, including Friction Beer Co., Wild Child, Hank’s Garage and Grill, Gilda’s Bar de Tapas and more.
“Downtown Shawnee’s developing a lot. … It’s the perfect location for us,” Greenlee said. “I think a lot of people are excited for it.”