Hi Hat Coffee

Hi Hat Coffee is a fiercely independent KC-metro coffee shop operating since the late 1990s out of a tiny converted 1930s Phillips 66 gas station at 5012 State Line Road in Westwood Hills, Kansas — a roughly 245-square-foot walk-up landmark on the Missouri/Kansas state line with a cult following built on craft espresso and famously friendly service.

Description

Hi Hat Coffee is a small independent coffee shop at 5012 State Line Road in Westwood Hills, Kansas, directly on the Missouri/Kansas state line within the Kansas City metro. The shop occupies a tiny brick Tudor structure — roughly 245 square feet — that was originally built in the 1930s as a Phillips 66 gas station and later served briefly as a one-chair hair salon before being converted into a coffee shop.¹

The shop has been “pouring and creating great beverages since 1999” per its official website,² making it one of the longer-tenured independent coffee operations in the metro. Local press describing the business in 2020 placed its tenure at roughly two decades and referenced a 1998 opening,¹ producing a minor one-year discrepancy on the founding date that remains unresolved. The menu centers on espresso drinks, blended beverages, and a full bakery case (croissants, cinnamon rolls, muffins, Danish), with coffee supplied by local roasters including Messenger Coffee and The Roasterie.¹

Despite its small footprint, Hi Hat has a durable cult following. In 2020 it was featured on a widely-circulated Reddit “Cozy Places” list, drawing regional coverage.¹ The owner has publicly framed the business as “not just a coffee business” but “equally a people business,” crediting its longevity to friendly service rather than scale.¹

Format note: The seed brief described Hi Hat as a “drive-through/walk-up” spot, but no source confirms a drive-through. The official site and press consistently describe a walk-up / counter-service operation with limited outdoor seating and no indoor seating; the official site notes the interior is designed to “get you in and out of the line quickly.”²¹ Treated here as walk-up, not drive-through.

Ownership and history

Period	Event
1930s	Structure built as a Phillips 66 gas station at 5012 State Line Rd.1
(pre-coffee)	Building used as a one-chair hair salon before conversion1
1998–1999	T. Jensen converts the building and opens Hi Hat Coffee (official site: 1999; press: 1998 —)21
2020	Featured on Reddit “Cozy Places” list; covered by Johnson County Post; ~20-year tenure noted1
2026 → present	Continuous operation as a single-location Westwood Hills fixture2

The shop is independently and locally owned with no corporate parent.²¹ The owner is identified in 2020 local press as Jensen (initial “T.” in one source), but a full, confirmed owner name has not been located and is flagged for verification.¹

No second location (e.g., a Brookside/Waldo outpost referenced in the seed brief) was confirmed. The official website lists only the State Line Road address, and directory/review listings for Brookside-area coffee shops that surface “Hi Hat” appear to reference the single Westwood Hills location rather than a distinct second store.² Treated here as a single-location business pending any contrary evidence.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-17 · Source: Hi Hat Coffee official site (menu categories) + AllMenus aggregator listing (drink lineup + prices) · URL(s): https://hihatcoffee.com/menu; https://www.allmenus.com/ks/westwood-hills/707536-hi-hat-coffee/menu/ · Confidence: Medium

The drink lineup below is corroborated by the official site’s category descriptions (“classics, blended favorites, chocolatey concoctions, and signature espresso-based combinations”) and by independent search results that independently named the Mona Lisa, Bee High, Avalanche, Black & White, Honey Lavender Latte, and Aztec Spicy Mocha.³⁴ Prices are drawn from a third-party aggregator and may be stale; all prices are flagged “.

Espresso & coffee drinks

• The Mona Lisa — house signature specialty espresso drink; the shop’s marquee creation. ~$3.90⁴
• The Bee High — honey-forward signature espresso drink (a fan-favorite per local reviews). ~$3.60³⁴
• Avalanche — signature specialty espresso drink. ~$3.85⁴
• Black & White — signature specialty espresso drink. ~$3.80⁴
• Aztec Spicy Mocha — spiced chocolate mocha. ~$4.65³⁴
• Honey Lavender Latte — floral honey-lavender latte. ~$3.65³⁴
• Other specialty drinks: Frosty Mint Mocha, Alfred’s Monk, Nutty Irishman, Sandstorm, Toasted Almond, Butter Bean Latte (~$3.65–$4.05).⁴
• Classics: Espresso ($1.00), Espresso Macchiato ($1.95), Espresso con Panna ($2.35), Americano ($2.10), House Drip Coffee ($1.85), Iced Coffee ($1.85), Caffe Latte ($3.45), Cappuccino ($3.45), Caffe Mocha ($3.60), Chai Tea Latte ($3.30). All prices.⁴

Blended drinks

• Hi Hat Crush ($4.05), E Crush ($4.40), Blended Bee ($4.40), Jet Smoothies ($3.60), Peachy Keen ($4.25), Creme Slice ($4.05), Super Fresher ($4.15), Pom Pom Vanilla Frappe ($4.40). All prices.⁴

Retail / food

• Bag of Hi Hat Blend — retail whole-bean/ground house coffee. ~$11.95⁴
• Bakery case: croissants, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and Danish (per official site and local press; individual items/prices not itemized on aggregator menus).²¹
• Non-coffee beverages: Chai Tea Latte, Green Iced Tea, S. Pellegrino, O.J. (~$2.30–$3.30).⁴

Links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hihatcoffee/
• Website: https://hihatcoffee.com/
• Phone: (913) 722-5000²

See also

• Registry
• Westwood Hills

Sources

Footnotes

1. Johnson County Post — “Westwood Hills’ Hi Hat Coffee makes Reddit’s ‘Cozy Places’ list” (2020-05-27). https://johnsoncountypost.com/2020/05/27/westwood-hills-hi-hat-coffee-makes-cozy-places-list-on-reddit-93634/. Asserts: owner T. Jensen; ~245 sq ft; building originally a 1930s Phillips 66 gas station, later a one-chair hair salon; opened 1998; coffee from Messenger Coffee and The Roasterie; “people business” quote; ~20-year tenure as of 2020. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

2. Hi Hat Coffee — official website and contact page. https://hihatcoffee.com/; https://hihatcoffee.com/contact-us. Asserts: founded 1999 (“pouring and creating great beverages since 1999”); 5012 State Line Rd., Westwood Hills, KS 66205; phone (913) 722-5000; hours Mon–Sat 6:30 AM–6 PM, closed Sun; walk-up format; no second location listed. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Web search results / review aggregation (Yelp, AllMenus, RestaurantGuru), accessed 2026-06-17. Asserts: customer-cited signature drinks including Bee High, Mona Lisa, Honey Lavender Latte, and (Aztec) Spicy Mocha; bakery items (croissants, cinnamon rolls, muffins, Danish). Used to corroborate the drink lineup independently of the aggregator price list. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Hi Hat Coffee menu — AllMenus aggregator listing. https://www.allmenus.com/ks/westwood-hills/707536-hi-hat-coffee/menu/ (accessed 2026-06-17). Asserts: full drink lineup with prices — classics (Espresso $1.00, Americano $2.10, Latte/Cappuccino $3.45, Caffe Mocha $3.60), signatures (Mona Lisa $3.90, Bee High $3.60, Avalanche $3.85, Black & White $3.80, Aztec Spicy Mocha $4.65, Honey Lavender Latte $3.65, Frosty Mint Mocha, Alfred’s Monk, Nutty Irishman, Sandstorm, Toasted Almond, Butter Bean Latte), blended drinks (Hi Hat Crush $4.05, E Crush $4.40, Blended Bee $4.40, etc.), retail Bag of Hi Hat Blend $11.95. Aggregator prices may be stale — flagged. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²