Veil Cafe is Kansas City’s newest cool kids coffee spot
Veil Cafe / Photo by Samantha Russell
Tucked among the brick buildings of Kansas City’s Garment District is newcomer Veil Cafe.
The coffee shop opened last month with a soft launch during the snowstorm to a surprisingly high turnout. Lines crammed in the door with people enticed by photos of the shop’s design and especially eager to try the “purple drink.” (It’s Ube.) Everything that came with the experience—from initial zoning plans not set for a coffee shop to early popularity running them out of inventory—was new to Benicio Baeza, owner of Veil.
With a prior love for coffee and its potential for connection beyond the cup, Baeza ventured into the historic space at 800 Broadway Blvd, seeking a location that didn’t previously embody a distinct identity. The vision came after travelling with his father to Mexico. His dad wanted to showcase Mexican coffee culture. Baeza witnessed a creative and intellectual community flourishing in these coffee shops—cool people with great hospitality. He tells of the smoky, cigarette-lit, political-discourse atmosphere outside Pera Café in Xalapa, a city he visited specifically for that shop.
It’s this culture that he seeks to emphasize in Veil Cafe, “The biggest thing for us is the community. The coffee is the medium.”
Though Veil Cafe is still new, Baeza’s intention already drives that force. On a Sunday afternoon I saw more than one sketchpad drawing in progress at the cafe. A white-and-pink checkered crocheted bag hangs from the shoulder of a stylishly dressed friend duo as others enter the space on dates or friend-dates, attending to conversation, writing, or schoolwork.
Sunday afternoon / Photo by Samantha Russell
The decor is intentional yet subtle, indicative of Mexican heritage and designed by Baeza himself. His artistic nature materialized with photography in high school before transferring to cinematography and videography in 2020, with creative forays since. Opening a coffee shop without prior experience wasn’t too daunting with his lifelong supports: “Both my parents are the hardest-working people I know. I have them as a support system—to get my Mom’s businessy side and pick her brain on that, and my Dad’s technical, so he can do anything.”
Old Japanese cloths hang as tapestries and Scandinavian pendant lights adorn the coffee bar designed by Matt Castilleja. A projector playing silent Studio Ghibli movies counterweighs the rise of the adjacent seating area. It is the intentional curation of the space, from selective hand-written messages down to the details of dust corners in the bathroom that evokes a homey feel.
Showroom in the bathroom / Photo by Samantha Russell
Thought is even given to the interplay between the 119-year-old wood floors and wooden furniture. The bench I sit on is new as of last week. Baeza is constantly turning an eye to the interior’s flow, noting that since the individual chairs lining this wall have been replaced with the bench, people like to sit here now. Intermixed throughout the cafe are antique chairs that create little pockets of space, as if rooms of their own. Nothing is ever set; the cafe formation is in a state of continual motion. Says Baeza, “We wanted to build this shop with the community and see what people like.”
Experimentation continues behind the bar. House-made syrups like ube and banana cross-pollinate an iced oat milk hojicha barista Jess crafted for me that was a pleasure to sip. While there has yet to be a settling on one coffee type, Baeza hopes to roast and carry Mexican coffee soon.
Veil Cafe’s current espresso offers a decent range between acidity and bitterness, though the two did not fully incorporate to reach that rich full-body flavor. They are currently rotating their bean types, so while it may not be a regular spot for the average coffee connoisseur, matcha and hojicha here are killer. You may find Baeza himself at the end of the bar, whipping up a mean matcha microfoam. The technique: “It’s all in the wrist.”
As a historic space informed by the community that frequents it, Veil Cafe opens itself to change. Veil’s name does not assign meaning, allowing it to present itself with time. It’s the desire Baeza has for the shop. Everything is in constant negotiation, required of the best creations.
Veil Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at 800 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri 64105.
