This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

a Kansas City coffee shop founded in the mid-2000s inside a converted Midtown gas station. Founder Robin Krause sold her majority interest to Messenger Coffee Co. in 2014; the brand is now one of several coffee labels held under FairWave Holdings, a Kansas City coffee holding company whose largest shareholder is the local private-equity firm Great Range Capital. Three locations: Midtown (flagship), Westport, and Overland Park. Tier 3 — the brand is no longer independently owner-operated and sits under a private-equity-backed parent.

Description

Filling Station Coffee is a Kansas City coffee shop whose flagship occupies a former gas station at 2980 McGee Trafficway in Midtown, in the Union Hill area near Martini Corner.1 The building’s automotive past is the brand’s signature — the converted-filling-station concept gives both the name and the design language, with the locations styled to evoke vintage auto garages.2

The business operates three cafés: the Midtown flagship, a Westport location at 1010 Westport Rd, and an Overland Park location at 7420 Johnson Dr.1 Its coffee program is run in partnership with Messenger Coffee, the Kansas City roaster that acquired the brand.12

Ownership and history

PeriodOwner / operator
c. 2004–2005 → 2014Robin Krause (founder, owner-operator) — grew the concept to multiple locations
2014 → 2020Messenger Coffee Co. (Matt Matsch and partners) acquired controlling interest
2020 → presentFairWave Holdings (Messenger became a FairWave brand following the 2020 consolidation)

Filling Station was created by Robin Krause, who opened the original Midtown café in the mid-2000s and built it into a small group of locations.3 In 2014 Krause sold her majority interest to Matt Matsch and Messenger Coffee Co. and went on to launch other Kansas City ventures (the Unbakery & Juicery concept in Brookside).32

In September 2020, Messenger Coffee — along with The Roasterie, Blackdog Coffeehouse, Ibis Bakery, and the Filling Station Coffee Garage — was consolidated under FairWave Holdings, a Kansas City holding company. FairWave’s largest shareholder is Great Range Capital, a KC-area private-equity firm; the company is led by CEO Dan Trott, with The Roasterie founder Danny O’Neill and Messenger partner Ron Matsch on its board.4 FairWave’s stated model is to preserve each brand’s individual identity and coffee sourcing while sharing operational functions.4

See also

  • Registry

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Filling Station Coffee — official site, About Us and Cafes pages. Lists all three locations: Midtown (2980 McGee Tfwy, (816) 768-8610), Westport (1010 Westport Rd, (816) 960-6448), Overland Park (7420 Johnson Dr, (913) 831-3326); states “Our coffee program is run in partnership with Messenger Coffee.” https://fillingstationcoffee.com/about-us/; https://fillingstationcoffee.com/cafes/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Feast Magazine, “Filling Station Flagship Location Launches New Menu Developed by Chef Josh Eans” — notes the Union Hill / former-gas-station setting, the original location’s longevity, and that founder Robin Krause sold her majority interest to Matt Matsch and Messenger Coffee Co. in 2014. https://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/kansas_city_news/article_a9e8ddfa-e0e3-11e7-8059-dfec2b3fe20d.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. IN Kansas City Magazine, “Robin Krause Expands with a New Restaurant Concept and a New Product Line” — Krause as founder/creator of Filling Station and her subsequent ventures. https://www.inkansascity.com/style-shopping/health/robin-krause-expands-with-a-new-restaurant-concept-and-a-new-product-line/ — Founding year stated variously; a 2017 Feast reference to the original’s “12th year” implies an opening of roughly 2005. Exact founding year. ↩ ↩2

  4. Daily Coffee News, “KC’s Messenger Coffee and The Roasterie Now Part of FairWave Holdings” (2020-09-24). FairWave brands include The Roasterie, Messenger Coffee, Blackdog Coffeehouse, Filling Station Coffee Garage, and Ibis Bakery; largest shareholder is Great Range Capital (KC-area private equity); CEO Dan Trott. https://dailycoffeenews.com/2020/09/24/kcs-messenger-coffee-and-the-roasterie-now-part-of-fairwave-holdings/ ↩ ↩2

See also

  • Registry
Categories
  • Coffee
  • Midtown