KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Two local and popular restaurants, Vested Coffee and Tribe Street Kitchen in Kansas City, Missouri, have closed their doors just before the holidays.
Vested Coffee in the Garment District served its last cup of coffee on December 23rd and Tribe Street Kitchen in the River Market closed permanently on December 22nd.
Vested Coffee customers say what they will miss most is the “neighborhood feel” of the store.
KSHB 41/Abby Dodge
Customers enjoy a final cup of coffee at Vested Coffee's Garment District on December 23, 2023.
“Sad, so sad,” said Jacob Keffer, who has been a Vested Coffee customer since moving to Kansas City four years ago. “It was a staple in Kansas City and definitely a good place for me. “Moving to Kansas City and walking into that coffee shop and seeing the owner, Susan, making an effort to know your name like she knows everyone's name, that was special.” So, it’s definitely sad that it continues like this.”
In a farewell letter to customers, Vested Coffee said it was a “gift” and a “privilege” to serve Kansas City for five years.
KSHB 41/Abby Dodge
A farewell letter to customers hangs on the door of Vested Coffee in the Garment District on December 23, 2023.
“At our Garment District location, it was time to negotiate the next five-year lease option. After months of discussions, we were unable to agree on terms that made it financially viable for Vested's future. Our Beacon Hill location cannot sustain business.” “Relocation is an option. “We have therefore made the difficult decision to close both Vested locations,” the farewell letter said.
Susan Dees, owner and CEO of Vested Coffee, recalled five years of memories, including marriage proposals, first dates, first birthdays and customers calling her their “adoptive parents.”
KSHB 41/Abby Dodge
Susan Dees, owner and CEO of Vested Coffee, speaks with KSHB 41's Abby Dodge.
“There are so many young people down here our age,” Dees said. “They got their first jobs, we went on first dates and I've seen – over the course of this week – couples go on their first date with us, they get married and now they have two kids within five years.” We were celebrating someone – we haven't seen her in six months – and she wanted to come on our last day, a beautiful, beautiful woman, stage four cancer, and she wanted to tell me she's cancer free today. So, there were tears.
Dees said customers have been lining up out the door all week to say goodbye to the beloved cafe.
“We served coffee well, but we loved people even more,” she said. “We just wanted to create a community, and everyone who spoke to us last week just told us and confirmed that we did something different than all the other coffee shops, and it was only because we really wanted to love people.”
North of Vested Coffee, another popular restaurant, Tribe Street Kitchen, closed its doors Friday.
According to Instagram, for six years Tribe Street Kitchen offered customers a menu inspired by dishes from around the world.
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