At this family-owned KC-area cafe, coffee, kindness and the Chiefs go hand in hand | Opinion
Walk into Coffee at the Delaware coffee shop in Independence and you can’t help but notice co-owner Drew Huff’s red and black sports goggles. The specs fit snugly on Huff’s face as he serves up luscious vanilla lattes, caramel cappuccinos and delectable drip coffee throughout the week.
“As a barista, with milk and espresso flying all over the place, I needed something a little more rugged, so I found this pair,” Huff said.
On any given day — Coffee at the Delaware is open seven days a week — Huff can be found wearing the goggles, an obvious ode to the Kansas City Chiefs, Huff told me during a recent visit.
In this football-crazed town, Huff’s choice of eyewear is noteworthy. And intriguing. They make for a great conversation starter. My guess is Chiefs fans everywhere could relate to this fashion-forward coffeemaker’s passion for the home team.
“I figured I could wear these to represent and support the team,” he said.
Coffee at the Delaware is located inside the Delaware Event Space, a wedding venue on the Independence Square. Huff, 45, operates the coffee shop with wife and co-owner Jana Huff. On this day, Jana, 38, was not there, but fellow barista Whitney Edwards was. I asked Edwards about Drew’s red-framed goggles with oval-shaped rims and arms trimmed in black.
“I think they match his personality perfectly,” Edwards said.
I was there recently when I overheard a customer and Huff’s conversation about the goggles. That customer left before I could get his name but he seemed impressed with Huff’s choice of eyewear. When the gentleman questioned if Huff chose red and black because of the Chiefs, Huff answered in the affirmative.
“Why not?” I recall Huff saying to the man. “Everybody around here loves the Chiefs.”
That conversation sparked my idea for this column. Even the black rings true, following the black-lined contours on the team helmets. Huff just needs a little gold bling to make the color pattern complete.
As an avid coffee drinker, I frequent as many cafes and coffee shops around the metropolitan area as I can. Supporting locally-owned small businesses is important to me. Because Coffee at the Delaware is close to my residence, I frequent it and nearby Main Street Coffee House on a regular basis.
Over the last few months, I’ve come to know Huff as a friendly guy who greets customers with a hearty welcome and a big smile. He is also very good at making espresso-laden drinks. With his thick, salt-and-pepper beard and hair pulled up into a bun, Huff’s appearance pairs well with his affability. The goggles only add to his unique character.
Huff said he decided to don the goggles while serving lattes to protect the pair of eyeglasses he wears when not at the coffee shop. He described those spectacles as a vintage pair from the 1900s.
“They kinda make me look either like Ben Franklin or Santa Claus, which is not always the look I wanted to go for,” he said. “I needed a set I could wear as a barista.”
A barista who looks like Ben Franklin or Santa Claus? Now that’s not something we see every day.
Neither is a coffee-pouring, Chiefs-loving latte artist in sports goggles.
Coffee at the Delaware is located at 125 South Main Street in Independence. For hours of operation, check out the shop’s Instagram page: @coffee_at_the_delaware.
