This 24-year-old is transforming a 1960s camper into a Kansas City coffee shop
In September, Seth McGrew was scrolling through endless postings on Facebook Marketplace when he found it: a Kansas-made trailer from the ‘60s, its original wood paneling still intact.
He’d been mulling over the possibility of repurposing an old trailer for almost two years. Though the University of Missouri-Kansas City business student is just 24, he’s something of a serial entrepreneur.
But turning a trailer into a mobile business — to sell baked goods and coffee, he figured — was one idea he couldn’t shake. So, he finally pulled the trigger and headed to Salina, Kansas, to pick up the new home for Good Day Cafe.
In the months since then, hundreds of Instagram followers have watched the trailer go from a bare, blue-striped metal container to a coffee camper with a service window. It’s still under construction, but in hopefully in April, Good Day Cafe will begin to roll around the metro, serving doughnuts, coffee and stuffed cookies.
“I think there’s beauty in service and helping people,” McGrew told The Star, sipping a cup of black coffee during an interview this fall. “I don’t know, it just — everything pieced together to come to a good idea.”
To him, coffee is a love language.
It’s the drink he used to make for his mom every morning. A must-have part of the day for many. And starting the day off on the right foot is important.
“I always say, ‘It’s a good day to have a good day.’ That’s like my go-to saying,” he said. “I think what I’m trying to do isn’t to reinvent coffee, it’s to reinvent how it feels to get coffee.”
He referenced the Will Guidara book “Unreasonable Hospitality” when explaining the desired environment of Good Day Cafe.
“Serve them in a way that, we’re giving them more than they expect every single time,” McGrew said. “The need, to me, isn’t coffee and doughnuts. The need is for spreading kindness.”
Part of that plan: give away free doughnuts regularly.
Good Day Cafe rolling out
Before his trailer, McGrew sold vintage clothing. He hosted a podcast, did social media marketing, and manufactured a special disc golf putter. As a child, it was duct tape wallets, balloon animals and lemonade stands.
Now he plans to juggle pop-up events in 2026 around school and his sales job, eventually adding employees and, who knows, maybe more coffee trailers.
McGrew is still figuring out who will source Good Day Cafe’s beans, but he promised matcha will be part of the menu.
A Raymore native, McGrew is getting his doughnuts from hometown favorite, Big Daddy’s Donuts. A classmate of his is baking the cookies.
‘People love a genuine story’
On Instagram, he films himself replacing old wood and putting in new studs.
He’s undertaking the project himself, though he has some help from family members with construction background, he explains between jump cut shots of him on the roof and behind the back window.
In another video, he expresses the need to repair the ceiling as a stream of water begins to form above.
“People love a genuine story,” he said. “I love making people smile and laugh. The goal’s to build a story, build the lore, have people follow along.”
Social media has been a successful place for him to drum up clientele, even this early on. One woman messaged him on Instagram and asked if he’d be able to make an appearance in early April.
“So maybe my first event is going to be a wedding,” he said, chuckling.
Though he’s built businesses before, he admits that it’s encouraging to see his follower count rise.
“It’s been really sweet to validate me,” he said. “To see other people kind of see the picture and think that’s a cool idea.”
Those interested in riding along Good Day Cafe’s journey can follow @gooddaycafekc on Instagram. Website pending.
