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

a Black-owned, mission-driven coffee company founded by TJ Roberts. It began in Strawberry Hill, KCK in June 2021, started roasting its own coffee in July 2022, and — after the original location closed in February 2025 — now operates a single café in Independence, MO. Tier 1 (independent, Black-owned, owner-operated).

Description

Kinship Cafe is a Black-owned, mission-driven coffee company founded by TJ Roberts, built to create a welcoming space “for people who have often felt like outsiders in traditional coffee shops.”12 Its mission emphasizes circulating dollars within the Black community, partnering with BIPOC business owners, and sourcing from Black-equity/women-owned farms.13

Kinship opened in June 2021 at 719 N 6th St in Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS, at the height of the pandemic, and began roasting its own coffee — Kinship Coffee Co. — in July 2022, describing itself as the only Black-owned roaster in Kansas City.13 After repeated lease and security challenges, Roberts closed the original Strawberry Hill location on February 27, 2025, and opened a new café in Independence, MO at 10725 E US-24 Highway — a 3,000-square-foot space in a repurposed bank with a drive-thru, patio, and chef-led food program.45 As of 2026, Independence is the single operating location.3

Ownership and history

Ownership

PeriodOwner / OperatorNotes
2021 → presentTJ Roberts (independent, Black-owned)Founded Strawberry Hill June 2021; roasting since July 2022; relocated to Independence 2025.14

Timeline

  • June 2021 — opens at 719 N 6th St, Strawberry Hill, KCK.1
  • July 2022 — begins in-house roasting as Kinship Coffee Co.1
  • Feb 27, 2025 — Strawberry Hill location closes (no long-term lease reached with the property owner; break-ins amid a citywide crime wave).54
  • 2025 — opens Independence, MO location (10725 E US-24 Hwy).43

Sources

Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

  1. Kinship Cafe — “Who We Are.” https://www.kinshipcafe.co/who-we-are — asserts: founder TJ; Black-owned; began June 2021; started roasting own coffee by July 2022. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. Startland News — “TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe” (Aug 2021). https://www.startlandnews.com/2021/08/tj-roberts-kinship-cafe/ — asserts: founder TJ Roberts; founding profile. ↩

  3. Kinship Cafe — official site. https://www.kinshipcafe.co/ — asserts: sole current address 10725 E US Hwy 24, Independence, MO 64054 + hours; “only Black-owned roasters in Kansas City”; beans from BIPOC/women-owned farms. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. KCUR — “Kinship Cafe — Strawberry Hill, Independence, Overland Park” (Feb 2025). https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2025-02-09/kinship-cafe-strawberry-hill-independence-overland-park — asserts: TJ Roberts; closure Feb 27, 2025; Independence location (repurposed bank, drive-thru, patio, chef-led food, planned March 1, 2025 open). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. Startland News — “Kinship Cafe closing” (Feb 2025). https://startlandnews.com/2025/02/kinship-cafe-closing/ — asserts: 719 N 6th St final day; lease + break-in reasons; Independence + a second planned site. ↩ ↩2

See also

Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Coffee
  • Independence Mo