European-inspired Bisou is Westside’s newest (& prettiest?) cafe

Bisou // Photo by Sarah Sipple

“Wow, it’s so pretty here!”

As I sat near the counter at Kansas City’s newest coffee shop, I heard every single customer say this as they placed their order. Truly.

Bisou opened this week, bringing a new European-inspired cafe to the Westside. From the front patio with umbrellas and flowers to the warm, neutral inside, it is so pretty.

Owner Cait Marie chose Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood for her salon (Second Story) and Bisou cafe below in part because of the charm and accessibility. Cait says, “I love the Westside. I think it’s the second most walkable neighborhood in the city. The first being City Market, but of course, it’s bought up and really developed. I feel like West Side still has the ability to grow. Plus we have almost endless parking under the bridge.”

Though the exterior looks like it was plucked right off a cobblestone street in a faraway country, the offerings inside represent a variety of good ol’ Kansas City talent. Cait sources her coffee from Maps Coffee & Chocolate in Lenexa, tortillas for breakfast burritos from Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio in KCK, and pastries from Blackhole Bakery in KCMO. Resident barista Jacob Kingsley makes a wonderful bourbon vanilla bean syrup for lattes. 

Barista Jacob Kingsley // Photo by Sarah Sipple

As the cafe finds its groove in coming months and Cait can redirect her creativity, the hot food and baked goods menu will expand. 

“Everybody keeps asking, who’s your chef? Well, here’s your chef,” says Cait. “I want to cook. I’ve had a cake company in the past, and I’ve always loved baking. You know the movie, Matilda? At age nine I probably baked that iconic style of chocolate cake for my brothers at least once a week. When it dwindled down to one slice, it was like ‘Cait, get back in the kitchen,’ and I loved it.”

Baking is one of the many art forms that fulfill Cait. “I am an artist at heart,” she says. Becoming an aesthetic tattooist and eventually opening Second Story salon was Cait’s way of making money while practicing art. Now, the salon can help support the cafe below–a new way of turning her creativity into business. “The way that I designed it, my upstairs will pay for my downstairs so my overhead will be protected, which means I’ve been able to take it slow and do things the right way here.”

Doing things the right way, to Cait, means putting kindness and acceptance first. As I observed her interact with new and familiar customers, receive latte-art training from Jacob, and give instructions to another employee, I witnessed an infectious warmth.

“I want people to walk out the door and think, I want to go back. A feeling of magnetism. I want people to remember the good food, but also more than that: that there are good people out there who care about you, no matter who you are.”

So, what can customers expect, beyond the idea of warmth and welcome? 

Bourbon Vanilla Bean latte and Goat Cheese and Onion pastry at Bisou // Photo by Sarah Sipple

A sunlit and clean interior with tables, booths, and bar-style seating. Espresso-based drinks like lattes ($6), Americano ($5), or tea ($3). Sweet and savory pastries ranging from $4-5 and three types of housemade vegetarian burritos ($10-11). Wifi and quiet but upbeat music. And, perhaps unexpectedly, shelves brimming with books for purchase, including classics like To Kill a Mockingbird as well as visually appealing coffee table books from Gucci and Chanel.

Bisou // Photo by Sarah Sipple

The books are not a random inclusion. They reinforce Cait’s European inspiration as they help create an environment that normalizes people dining alone and device-free. “The slow pace of many European cafes brings a more intimate experience. But I hate that people feel like we have to be, you know, in pairs. Dining alone can be empowering. There’s no company like your own company.”

Over two and a half hours, I did enjoy my own company, but also spent time chatting with Cait and Jacob and even had a friend come surprise me after seeing where I was from social media. (She was one of many who responded, “Wow, it’s so pretty!” both online and IRL.)

I luxuriated in the sweet and savory combination of the Bourbon Vanilla Bean latte with a Goat Cheese and Onion pastry. I plan to return soon to try one of the breakfast burritos and enjoy a sunny moment on the front patio.

Bisou is at 2122 Jefferson St Suite A, Kansas City, MO 64108.