Kinship Cafe

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).

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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

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Ownership and history

Ownership

Period	Owner / Operator	Notes
2021 → present	TJ 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

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Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-20 · Source: Kinship Cafe official site (kinshipcafe.co), Joe Coffee location page, Yelp · URL(s): https://www.kinshipcafe.co/ · https://joe.coffee/locations/mo/independence/kinship-cafe-independence/ · https://www.yelp.com/biz/kinship-cafe-independence · Confidence: High on drink names/descriptions and the chef-led food program (multiple sources); Medium on exact per-item pricing (official site lists price bands by size, not per-item dollar figures).

Kinship is a Black-owned specialty roaster (Kinship Coffee Co.) pouring scratch-made signature lattes and chai alongside a chef-led wrap-and-sandwich kitchen at the Independence café.³⁶

Signature drinks

Year-round house specialties; sizes priced roughly $5.50 (12oz) / $6.50 (16oz).⁶

• The MLK-Way — caramel, chocolate milk, espresso.⁶
• The Berry Latte — blackberry, white chocolate, espresso.⁶
• Cinnamon Delight — honey, cinnamon, vanilla, espresso.⁶
• Green Fling — honey, vanilla, blackberry, matcha.⁶
• Scratch-Made Chai — house-made chai, served straight or as a latte.⁶

Seasonal drinks

Rotating menu (fall lineup verified); sizes priced roughly $6 (12oz) / $7 (16oz).⁶

• Yam Candy Latte — house caramelized syrup of rosemary, molasses, honey, and brown sugar.⁶
• The Smoked Campfire Mocha — mocha with toasted marshmallow and chocolate.⁶
• The Golden Milk — ginger-honey with turmeric/ginger Spirit Tea Malabar.⁶
• Pumpkin Spiced Chai — house-made pumpkin syrup with scratch chai.⁶
• Apple Spiced Chai — caramelized spiced apple, scratch chai, dehydrated apple crisps.⁶

Coffee & roasting

• In-house-roasted specialty coffee as Kinship Coffee Co., sourced from BIPOC- and women-owned farms; espresso base for the latte program.³¹

Food — wraps (~$11–12)⁶

• The Early Bird — roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, Italian turkey sausage, peppers, onions, salsa, cheeses.⁶
• The Breakfast Scrambler (vegan) — vegan chorizo, scrambled tofu, onions, peppers, vegan cheese, black beans, cilantro.⁶
• The Wild Turkey Wrap — roasted turkey, spinach, carrots, bagel seasoning, pickles, cheeses.⁶
• The MVP (vegan) — peppers, onions, portobello, garlic sauce, vegan mozzarella, jasmine turmeric rice.⁶

Food — sandwiches (~$7–11)⁶

• The Grilled PB & J — sourdough, nut butter, jam, honey, sea salt.⁶
• The Turkey Melt — roasted turkey, chipotle spread, Gouda, mustard, tomato, greens.⁶
• Grilled Cheese — pesto or chipotle spread, Havarti and Gouda on sourdough.⁶
• The Roast Beef — sliced beef, tomato, garlic aioli, mustard, pesto, Havarti, onion straws.⁶

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Sources

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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 ↩⁷

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 ↩⁵ ↩⁶

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

6. Kinship Cafe — menu (official site). https://www.kinshipcafe.co/ — asserts: signature drinks (MLK-Way, Berry Latte, Cinnamon Delight, Green Fling, scratch chai) at ~$5.50/$6.50; rotating seasonal/fall drinks (Yam Candy Latte, Smoked Campfire Mocha, Golden Milk, Pumpkin/Apple Spiced Chai) at ~$6/$7; wraps ~$11–12 and sandwiches ~$7–11. Cross-checked against Yelp (https://www.yelp.com/biz/kinship-cafe-independence) and Joe Coffee location page. Pricing given as size bands, not per-item — exact per-item prices. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³