The Scoop: Kitchen House Coffee to open in Tower Grove East

  The neighborhood coffee shop may be the penultimate community establishment, and on Sept. 15, Tower Grove East and Compton Heights residents will be able to stroll to Kitchen House Coffee, a new coffee shop owned by Tower Grove residents Paul Whitsitt and David Rodgers. Inspired by their personal urban farm on Michigan Avenue and a desire for a coffee shop within walking distance, Whitsitt and Rodgers set out to open a coffee shop that is a community destination. Their new spot at 3149 Shenandoah Ave., aims to provide a quiet country oasis in an urban setting. “I was looking for an opporutnity to extend what I was doing at the farm,” Whitsitt said, adding that as the business grows, he hopes to sell some fresh produce and farm-fresh eggs at Kitchen House Coffee. The shop will serve Blueprint and Stringbean coffees in both drip and pour-over styles, as well as cold brewed. An espresso bar will also provide customers with lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and more. Whitsitt and Rodgers will also offer a juice bar, featuring fresh-squeezed juices in healthy-sounding concoctions like the Emerald City with kale, apple, cucumber, celery and lemon juices. The breakfast and lunch crowds can enjoy pastries from local bakery Whisk, as well as farm bowls filled with everything from crunchy granola with yogurt to a vegetarian pasta salad delivered twice weekly by chef Dennis Rodgers of World Class Catering. Tables made from repurposed wood will accommodate up to 25 customers inside, or customers can enjoy their food and drink outside on a 15-seat patio. Given Whitsitt and Rodgers’ enthusiasm for their urban farm (also called Kitchen House Farm), the coffee shop décor will reflect a homey warmth with pieces of farm life scattered throughout, including a chicken coop out back. Kitchen House Coffee will operate Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.