1888 Coffee is an ode to KC’s Hyde Park with options for everyone
1888 Coffee // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Christine Kehoe, co-owner of 1888 Coffee, is a resident and big fan of Hyde Park. Kehoe and her husband moved their family from South Johnson County to Hyde Park a few years ago.
“My all-time favorite thing to do around here is just to take a walk. Everyone is so nice, that’s how I’ve met so many people, and why we love the neighborhood,” says Kehoe. The daily touchpoints and human interactions that define community were quickly felt and deeply appreciated.
“This is what I sometimes think that you don’t get in the suburbs, that you do get in the city. I want people to experience that. I want people to come here and get to meet so many different walks of life.”
1888 Coffee // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Kehoe’s new family-owned and operated coffee shop, 1888 Coffee, replaced Mother Earth Coffee, which closed in March.
1888 Coffee opened last weekend and now serves coffee, matcha, and carbonated beverages daily, along with hot breakfast and lunch items and pastries.
The baked goods are sourced locally from Tailleur, Dolce Bakery, and Three Bears Bakery for gluten-free selections. Sandwiches, toast, and burritos round out the food menu.
On the drink side of things, a seasonal latte menu takes center stage. I happily vouch for the iced banana nut latte with cold foam if you’re in the mood for a nutty and only mildly sweet drink. Besides coffee-based drinks, fruit-forward matcha and carbonated “88 Energy Fizz” combinations allow for infinite customization.
For example, as the baristas were experimenting, they handed me a strawberry shortcake fizzy drink with cupcake cold foam. The sweetness level was between sparkling water and soda, but still far from the sweetness expected with a name like that. It was creamy yet refreshing, and brought up memories of middle-school scented lip gloss–and that’s a compliment.
1888 Coffee // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Despite the name, 88 Energy Fizz drinks are available with or without caffeine. This was a conscious choice made by Kehoe to keep the menu more inclusive.
One demographic that 1888 Coffee welcomes is local students. With the close proximity to a school, Kehoe and team decided to lean into the kid-friendliness. During menu design, Kehoe worked with the nearby educators to invite students in to give their feedback on some of the drinks. In fact, the matcha supplier was researched and selected by one of Kehoe’s daughters.
Being in service to the neighborhood, young and old, is paramount to 1888 Coffee. The cafe’s name comes from the year in which the Hyde Park neighborhood was established. The antique Kansas City motif is continued in the decor through vintage furniture and postcards from the area, old telephones hung on one wall, and a map of the area as a focal point.
1888 Coffee is at 3504 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111.
