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

Thou Mayest is an independent Kansas City coffee roaster and café founded in 2012, whose River Market location — Thou Mayest River Quay, in the former Quay Coffee space — operates on a coffee-by-day, cocktail-bar-by-night model.

Description

Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters is an independent Kansas City small-batch coffee roaster established in 2012. The brand’s name references a passage from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden concerning the importance of human choice. Its River Market café, branded Thou Mayest River Quay, occupies the former Quay Coffee space at 412 Delaware St — described as a “cozy brick cabin” in the historic district once known in the 1970s as the “River Quay.”

The River Quay location is defined by a dual-concept model: it serves specialty coffee and café drinks during the day and operates as a cocktail bar in the evening, with no hard cutoff between the two service modes. The space also functions as a community and events venue, offering coffee tastings, catering, and rentals.

Ownership and history

Thou Mayest was co-founded in 2012; Bo Nelson is the public-facing co-founder (referring to himself as “El Honcho”), with Bill Holzhueter as co-owner serving as roaster and general manager. In April 2019, Thou Mayest acquired Quay Coffee — whose owners Cory Stipp and Dominic Scalise approached Nelson about a sale — taking over the River Market shop at 412 Delaware as well as a Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art location. Nelson, who had been friends with the Quay owners before Thou Mayest opened, called it “a natural fit”; the Quay name was retained initially before the location was rebranded Thou Mayest River Quay. ** base-data owner “Bill Anderson” is not supported by any source and appears to be an error.**

Tier classification

Tier 1 (provisional). Thou Mayest is an independent, founder-led KC roaster with no chain or corporate parent, woven into the local scene through its acquisition and stewardship of a beloved River Market coffee institution (Quay). That continuity and the owners’ deep ties to the KC coffee community reflect the pride-and-roots quality Tier 1 measures. ** Bo Nelson’s and Bill Holzhueter’s born-and-raised KC-metro status is not yet confirmed; reconfirm tier on that basis.**

See also

Sources

  1. Startland News — “Thou Mayest acquires Quay Coffee; three new locations…” — https://startlandnews.com/2019/04/thou-mayest-quay-coffee-thee-outpost/ — accessed 2026-05-30
  2. Feast Magazine — “One On One: Bo Nelson, Co-Founder and Roaster, Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters” — https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/one-on-one-bo-nelson-co-founder-and-roaster-thou-mayest-coffee-roasters/article_94ca3196-606a-11e4-95bc-0017a43b2370.html — accessed 2026-05-30
  3. Thou Mayest official site — River Quay page — https://thoumayest.com/pages/thou-mayest-river-quay — accessed 2026-05-30
  4. KC River Market member listing — https://kcrivermarket.com/member/thou-mayest-river-quay/ — accessed 2026-05-30
  5. Yelp — Thou Mayest River Quay, 412 Delaware St — https://www.yelp.com/biz/thou-mayest-river-quay-kansas-city-2 — accessed 2026-05-30

Verification

Drafted 2026-05-30 from web research; 5 sources. Correction to base data: owner is Bo Nelson (co-founder) with Bill Holzhueter (co-owner/roaster) — NOT “Bill Anderson.” Brand founded 2012 (confirmed); River Quay location acquired from Quay Coffee in April 2019 (confirmed). Coffee-by-day / cocktail-by-night concept confirmed. Phone, current hours, owners’ KC-native status, and status of other locations still need confirmation.

See also

  • Registry
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Coffee