Messenger Coffee drops its longtime plan to build in this Johnson County location

Jenna Thompson
·2 min read

Messenger Coffee Co. is dropping its original plans for a location in Overland Park’s Prairiefire, Kansas City parent company FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective told The Star Wednesday.

“We won’t be moving forward with it as we initially developed the plans, but we’re hopeful to get out there,” said Suzanne Gunning, vice president of marketing. “I think the developer now is reimagining that space as well.”

It’s unclear whether the business is planning a different location in the area, but Gunning said the “original” design for Prairiefire has been thrown out.

The location would have been Messenger’s first in Johnson County. A rendering provided to The Star in 2021 showed indoor and outdoor seating, a drive-thru and an Ibis Bakery inside. (Messenger’s locations in the Crossroads and Country Club Plaza also serve Ibis baked goods.)

At the time, the location was set to open in spring 2022, but construction was delayed thanks to supply chain issues. The building would have stood between Andy’s Frozen Custard and Chicken N Pickle, both of which were under construction at the time of Messenger’s announcement but have since opened.

Isaac Hodges, FairWave’s Kansas City market president, said the company began to take an “introspective look” at how it expands.

“It’s important that we just do that right and smart,” he said.

“The original plans for Messenger at Prairefire were an incredible project with many hands involved, and we owe a wealth of gratitude to everyone who worked on the project. Although we’re not moving forward, we’re proud of the brand and the people that got us this far. And, we’re always considering plans for new cafes.”

FairWave also owns local coffee brands The Roasterie, Black Dog Coffeehouse and Filling Station.

The Roasterie will open two more cafes later this year in Kansas City, Gunning said, one as a partnership with UMB Bank off Interstate 435 and State Line Road. The other will open at the Children’s Mercy Clinics on Broadway at 3101 Broadway Blvd.