Coffee shop to open in KC area plant nursery. ‘Puts a bright spot in people’s day’
Cafe Equinox has had plenty of success at its first two locations, founder Bo Nelson said.
He knew early on that he was onto something when crowds of people were waiting two hours for lattes inside his family’s business, Family Tree Nursery.
Cafe Equinox’s original location in Shawnee, 7036 Nieman Road, is open year-round. He then opened another in the Overland Park nursery, 8424 Farley St. (The cafe is open during the colder months — i.e., right now.)
Soon, Nelson’s team will also pour lattes and other espresso drinks at Family Tree’s Liberty location, 830 W. Liberty Drive.
“Liberty is kind of on fire right now, and everybody is screaming for more local products in Liberty,” Nelson said.
He plans for this spot to be open all year. Like the others, customers will grab a coffee drink and sit at tables scattered amid the flora. Drinks will be made inside a coffee trailer.
Its projected opening date is in February. Nelson said he hopes he has just a couple of weeks to go.
Like his other two spots, he hopes the coffee shop will be a haven for those looking to escape the dreariness of a Midwestern winter.
“It just puts a bright spot in people’s day, where they can go sit in the greenhouse where it’s sometimes 80 degrees,” Nelson said. “Our favorite compliment that we hear during the winter months is, ‘Man, my seasonal depression was out of control until I found you guys.’”
Caffeine and chlorophyll — so goes the motto of Cafe Equinox.
Nelson is also the founder of Thou Mayest Coffee, a coffee shop in the River Market at 412 Delaware St., Suite B. They also have a spot inside the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. He’s been roasting coffee beans since/added word/ as early as 2010.
The pollinated lavender latte is Cafe Equinox’s most popular drink. It has honey, bee pollen, housemade lavender syrup and espresso.
“We see a lot of homeschool families, a lot of people taking meetings, just anybody who’s trying to get out of the office and into a unique environment,” Nelson said.
