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

Pitchside Coffee is a soccer-themed specialty café in the Crossroads Arts District, opened August 31, 2025, and owned by six current and former Kansas City Current (NWSL) players. Named for the soccer “pitch,” it grew out of a year-old mobile coffee trailer into a 5,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar gathering place — the first athlete-founded, player-owned food-and-beverage venture of its kind to also vend permanently inside CPKC Stadium.123

Description

Pitchside Coffee blends athletic culture with specialty coffee. The shop’s name derives from “pitch,” the term for a soccer field, and the space is designed as a social hub for soccer fans and coffee drinkers alike — featuring indoor and outdoor seating, garage doors that open in good weather, large windows, and televisions for watching matches.12 The 5,000-square-foot café seats roughly 60–75 customers.1

The menu centers on specialty coffee: matchas, cortados, lattes, drip coffee, and cold brew, alongside a signature “Game Day Grind” house blend and single-origin offerings. Pitchside’s syrups are made in-house and include a cinnamon brown syrup, a saffron orange honey syrup, and mocha.23 Pastries and light food round out the offering. The café operates Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to roughly 2–3 p.m.24

Ownership and history

Pitchside Coffee is owned and founded by six current and former Kansas City Current (NWSL) players:15

  • Kristen Hamilton — forward; NWSL veteran
  • Elizabeth Ball — center defender
  • Vanessa DiBernardo — midfielder
  • Hailie Mace — midfielder
  • Mallory Weber — defender
  • Desiree Scott — former midfielder; Olympic champion, NWSL since the league’s inception

The concept originated during a preseason team trip to Florida, where the players discussed creating a community-focused coffee shop. They launched a mobile coffee trailer in 2024, working pop-up events and serving at CPKC Stadium for roughly a year before opening the brick-and-mortar.23 The owners initially sought a location in the River Market near CPKC Stadium, but moved to the Crossroads when the 1819 Grand Blvd space became available.1 The brick-and-mortar held its grand opening on August 31, 2025.13

Pitchside is locally owned and independent — there is no corporate parent or chain affiliation.12 The Kansas City Current have announced a partnership making Pitchside a permanent food-and-beverage vendor inside CPKC Stadium, described as the first player-owned vendor permanently featured inside an NWSL or women’s-sports venue.6

See also

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Kansas City Magazine, “KC Current Players To Open Pitchside Coffee Shop In The Crossroads This Month.” https://kansascitymag.com/kc-current-players-to-open-pitchside-coffee-shop-in-the-crossroads-this-month/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Here Kansas City, “Kansas City Coffee Shop Pitchside Coffee Opens Soon.” https://www.herekansascity.com/pitchside-coffee-kansas-city/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. Pitchside Coffee, official site — About Us / home. https://pitchsidekc.com/pages/about-us ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. joe.coffee / business listings — Pitchside Coffee, Kansas City, MO (hours and contact listing). https://joe.coffee/locations/mo/kansas-city/pitchside-coffee-kansas-city/ ↩

  5. Pitchside Coffee, official site — Meet the Team. https://pitchsidekc.com/pages/meet-the-team ↩

  6. Kansas City Current, “Kansas City Current announces historic partnership with Pitchside Coffee as next restaurant partner at CPKC Stadium.” https://www.kansascitycurrent.com/news/kansas-city-current-announces-historic-partnership-with-pitc ↩

See also

Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Coffee
  • Crossroads