Current State Coffee opens first roastery cafe in Shawnee

Current State Coffee Roasting opened its first roastery cafe in a near-century-old red-brick building at 11217 Johnson Drive in downtown Shawnee, putting the brand’s production line in full view of customers. The space keeps the building’s high arched ceilings, industrial rafters and heated concrete floors in the foreground, while Nick Robertson designed it around the structure rather than a heavily decorated look.

The room carries a rammed-earth bar, walnut cabinetry, oak chairs made from old church pews and a garage-bay door that opens to a front patio. The former Pediatric Home Service location now sits in a stretch of locally owned businesses downtown.

Shawnee City Council approved a $50,000 grant loan for Current State Coffee Roasters on Oct. 30, 2025, by a 5-3 vote. Councilmembers Tony Gillette, Mike Kemmling and Jacklynn Walters voted in dissent. Current State Coffee Roasters LLC was filed with the Kansas Secretary of State on June 9, 2025.

Kiersten Rex, who formerly served as head roaster for Messenger Coffee, roasts on an 18-kilogram US Roaster Corp machine placed where guests can watch the work happen. Robertson said the goal was to create something that feels like a factory you can enter and be part of. The lineup includes coffees from Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Peru and Mexico. The espresso program uses a three-group La Marzocco Linea Classic with a Swan grinder, while the menu adds lattes, cold brews, pour-overs, a hazelnut latte, a caffe nico and house-made limeade.

Current State’s first roasted coffees reached the wholesale market in late 2025, and the brand publicly launched in January 2026. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Shawnee cafe gives Current State Coffee Roasting a retail floor and a wholesale showcase on Johnson Drive.