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an independent, owner-operated coffee shop, drive-thru, and roaster on Central Avenue in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. Founded in 2017 by brothers Adam and Caleb Wittmer, the shop takes its name from Mathias Splitlog, the 19th-century Wyandot mill owner for whom Strawberry Hill was originally called “Splitlog Hill.” A deliberate homage to KCK history, Splitlog has become a staple of the Kansas-side specialty-coffee scene.

Description

Splitlog Coffee Co. is an independent coffee shop and roaster at 548 Central Avenue in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. It operates as both a sit-down café and a drive-thru, with founders citing an emphasis on serving both the lingering coffee enthusiast and the quick morning commuter.12 The shop opened in the former Flywheel Coffee space, a building the founders already owned; rather than lease it to another operator, they launched their own concept “to complete the offerings in the neighborhood.”3

The operation roasts its own beans on site. Early in its life the shop sourced from Kansas City–area roasters such as Messenger Coffee and Per’La Specialty Roasters, before bringing roasting in-house at the Strawberry Hill location.34 Daily coffee operations were built by Simeon Bricker, an award-winning barista and multi-year industry veteran who directs the coffee program.13

Ownership and history

PeriodOperator / event
19th c.The hill is known as “Splitlog Hill” after Mathias Splitlog, a Wyandot (Wyandotte) landowner and entrepreneur who built horse- and steam-powered sawmills, amassed wealth, and acquired roughly 280 acres in the area. The hill is later renamed Strawberry Hill.24
Pre-2017The 548 Central Ave. building houses Flywheel Coffee, in a building owned by the Wittmer brothers.3
April 26, 2017Splitlog Coffee Co. opens, founded by brothers Adam and Caleb Wittmer, with Simeon Bricker brought on to direct the coffee program.123
Dec. 16, 2019Splitlog opens a second location at 546 Olive St. in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood of Northeast Kansas City, MO — a full-kitchen café (no drive-thru) serving breakfast items and pastries.56
By 2026The Pendleton Heights location is listed as closed; the Strawberry Hill flagship remains open.7

The business name is a deliberate revival of the area’s historical “Splitlog” identity, tying the shop directly to the Wyandot heritage of Strawberry Hill and to the figure of Mathias Splitlog.24 (Mathias Splitlog’s exact role — variously described in local coverage as “son of the Chief of the Wyandottes” — should be cross-checked against primary Wyandot history before that genealogical claim is stated as fact.)

See also

Sources

Footnotes

  1. “About Splitlog Coffee Co.” — Splitlog Coffee Company official site. https://splitlogcoffee.shop/pages/about-splitlog-coffee-co ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. “In Kansas City, Kansas, Splitlog Coffee Honors Strawberry Hill History” — Feast Magazine. https://www.feastmagazine.com/in-kansas-city-kansas-splitlog-coffee-honors-strawberry-hill-history/article_0702745a-3cd5-11e7-b142-235cc355e509.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. “Splitlog Coffee Co. is Steeped in Kansas City, Kansas, History” — Feast Magazine. https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/splitlog-coffee-co-is-steeped-in-kansas-city-kansas-history/article_1dcdc32a-875c-11e7-b084-0baa898ba481.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. “Exploring Life & Business with Splitlog Coffee Company” — VoyageKC Magazine. https://voyagekc.com/interview/exploring-life-business-with-splitlog-coffee-company-of-splitlog-coffee-roasting/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. “Splitlog Coffee Co. to open second location in Pendleton Heights” — Northeast News. https://northeastnews.net/pages/splitlog-coffee-co-open-second-location-pendleton-heights/ ↩

  6. “Splitlog Coffee Co. Plans to Roll Out Full Menu at Second Location in Pendleton Heights” — Feast Magazine. https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/splitlog-coffee-co-plans-to-roll-out-full-menu-at-second-location-in-pendleton-heights/article_96dbfd58-49f2-11ea-9906-8b2ee08e6a20.html ↩

  7. “Splitlog Coffee - Pendleton Heights - CLOSED” — Yelp listing, 546 Olive St, Kansas City, MO (updated 2026). https://www.yelp.com/biz/splitlog-coffee-pendleton-heights-kansas-city-4 ↩

  8. Splitlog Coffee Co. listing — Visit Kansas City, KS. https://www.visitkansascityks.com/listing/splitlog-coffee-co/435/ ↩

See also

Categories
  • Kansas City–owned
  • Coffee
  • Strawberry Hill