Four Inane Questions with Jinkies! Coffee and Hangout’s Madi and Lisa Dombrowski

Photo Courtesy of Madi and Lisa Dombrowski

If the Brady’s, the Partridge’s, and Charlie’s Angels found themselves in need of a jolt of java, they’d no doubt pick Jinkies! Coffee and Hangout in Overland Park. The retro-esque ’70s-inspired coffeehouse—which opened in Jan. 2021—is owned and operated by the mother/daughter duo of Madi and Lisa Dombrowski. “It’s been an incredible journey,“ Madi says. “We love creating specialty drinks and dreaming up unique pastries that surprise and delight our customers.“ 

Team Dombrowski says that in addition to scoring macrame plant holders and lava lamps, they’ve bonded over building their business from the ground up. “Every day brings new challenges and opportunities for growth,“ says Madi. “And we cherish the chance to do what we love together.“ 

While their sublimely sweet coffee concoctions might push the average coffee connoisseur into a sugar coma, they’ve definitely found a nostalgic niche. Their trippy-dippy, groovy ’70s memorabilia is sprinkled liberally around the coffee shop. 

We caught up with the pair over a seasonal goo-goo muck latte (uh, go look it up!) to zing them with our zany questionnaire. We kept our insulin shot handy. Bless.

Photo Courtesy of Madi and Lisa Dombrowski

The Pitch: What’s the best ’70s Saturday morning TV cartoon show ever created? 

Madi Dombrowski: Scooby-Doo, of course! It revolved around mysteries, friends, and a dog, so it quickly became an all-time favorite. I wanted to be a part of the gang so much that I named our coffee shop after them!

Lisa Dombrowski: The Monkees! This four-guy band was always up to something. Mike, Peter, Mickey, and Davey were easy on the eyes, and their music was even easier on the ears. Their popularity was crazy-mad at the time, with girls passing out with just a glance from one of them. They were the Taylor Swift of the times! I had a secret crush on Mike. To this day, I still listen to their music at home and at Jinkies!

What’s the worst Halloween costume you’ve ever seen someone wear?

Madi: I am going to throw my husband under the bus here. One year, his costume was supposed to be Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. But instead of getting a plain green shirt, he used a green shirt with a giant Colorado logo that he flipped inside out. And you could definitely still see the logo inside out. It was a minimum-effort costume—and it showed.

What’s an ice cream flavor that doesn’t exist but you would consider mandatory?

Madi: I would love a mojito-flavored ice cream, preferably containing real mojito. The perfect blend of refreshing and sweet to finish off a day of serving coffee.

Lisa: If I had to come up with a mandatory flavor, it would be cookie dough with salted caramel, extra chocolate chips, extra cookie dough, maraschino cherries, and jimmie sprinkles. I could easily put away half of a half-gallon at a time every night!

Do you have a green thumb or a black thumb?

Photo Courtesy of Madi and Lisa Dombrowski

Lisa: Oh my—I have a black thumb! I can kill a fake plant. No matter how careful I am, a plant has no chance in my presence. I always forget to water and feed them. Even with one of those glass bubble water thingies—I still forget to fill it with water.  

Madi: I inherited my mom’s black thumb. I managed to keep zero of the eight plants I had planted this year. There’s a reason all the plants in Jinkies! are fake.

Bonus 5th Question: What’s the most underrated movie soundtrack of all time? 

Lisa: The Rocky Horror Picture Show! This is such a catchy, fun movie, and the music is just as good! Both the music and plot were pretty far out there for the times. Back in Omaha, where I grew up, it was shown every Saturday night at 11:59 p.m., so the audience was limited. However, audience participation made everything about it unique. It’s a must-see.