‘We’ve been waiting so long’: Johnson County coffee shop closed 2 years ago. It’s back

Jenna Thompson
·2 min read
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When the Gallagers reopened their coffee shop last week, they were nervous.

It had been two years since their Country Club Cafe closed at 21911 W. 66th St. in western Shawnee. Now their shop had a new space, name and look — would people remember them? Had everyone found a new favorite coffee place and moved on?

But on Saturday, the doors swung open to Gallager’s Coffeehouse, and familiar faces poured in.

“To see that support again has been incredible,” said Kassidy Gallagher, daughter-in-law of owner Babs Gallagher.

Old regulars had been waiting since 2021 for their lattes, cinnamon rolls and rollovers — the egg salad bagel sandwich the coffee shop is known for.

The rollover is an egg salad sandwich with ham and cheese on an Asiago bagel. The menu item is a favorite at Gallagher’s Coffeehouse.
The rollover is an egg salad sandwich with ham and cheese on an Asiago bagel. The menu item is a favorite at Gallagher’s Coffeehouse.

Their new location at 22742 Midland Drive doesn’t even have a sign yet, but faithful followers are finding their way in. It’s practically across the street from its previous location.

“I think one of our favorite things to hear is ‘We’ve been waiting so long,’” Kassidy said. “People are just always so excited.”

On Thursday, a barista walked out from the counter to a man leaning against a moss-green wall and handed him a plate.

“Enjoy,” she said. “Your first rollover in two years.”

Some customers ordered espresso drinks and breakfast sandwiches, others asked for build-your-own smoothies and soup.

The Country Club Cafe had been open for almost two decades. The Gallaghers took over the business in 2017.

Kassidy said the Gallaghers began to have a “different vision” from the Country Club Bank, which had offered them a space inside. Changes in the lease ultimately drove the Gallaghers to close the coffee shop and look for a new space.

After the Gallaghers eventually found their new location, a former chiropractic office, it took them about eight months to convert the space. The entire time, Kassidy said, fans were coming up to them in public and asking the same question:

“When are you opening?”

“It’s been a long time coming, for sure,” Kassidy said.

The Gallaghers hope to offer late nights for students in the future, as well as opportunities to rent out the space.

For now, the shop is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Customers know they’re in the right place if they see the “Home of the Rollover” sticker in the window.