The Present State of Specialty Coffee: A New Roastery Cafe in Shawnee, Kansas Redefines the Basics
There is a quiet but deliberate shift happening in American specialty coffee. It is not about fermentations that taste like kombucha or coffee that smells like a perfume counter. It is about going back to what made good coffee great in the first place. And nowhere is that more evident than in Shawnee, Kansas, where Current State Coffee Roasting has just opened its first roastery cafe. The company is betting that a return to fundamentals, an early 2000s style cafe, and a seriously stripped back approach to sourcing and roasting can win customers over. It is a bold move in an industry that has increasingly chased novelty. But fair enough, sometimes the best way forward is to look back.
Inside the Roastery Cafe: Design with Intent
The space itself tells the story. Housed in a nearly century old red brick building in downtown Shawnee, the cafe does not fight the history. It leans into it. Heated concrete floors, high arched ceilings, industrial rafters. The building is the design, not just the backdrop. Nick Robertson, co founder and coffee director, told Daily Coffee News that they wanted the building to steer the design because it is a historic building pushing 100 years old. They wanted it to be heavy, not design heavy. That philosophy runs through every element.
A rammed earth bar with layered colours anchors the middle of the room. It supports two separate drink prep stations, one at each end. Solid walnut cabinetry and oak chairs made from old church pews add to the sturdy, grounded feel. And then there is the roaster. Front and centre, visible to everyone, an 18 kilogram US Roaster Corp machine sits in full view. It is not hidden away in a back room. You can watch Kiersten Rex, a founding partner and former head roaster at Messenger Coffee, work the drum. This is a factory you are invited into. And honestly, that openness is refreshing. It says a lot about the confidence they have in their product.
A windowed garage bay door opens onto a front patio with green metal chairs and tables, lawn and potted plants. It is a space that feels both industrial and welcoming. It is not trying to be a chic urban coffee bar. It is a roastery cafe in Shawnee, and it owns that identity completely.
The Coffee Philosophy: Back to Basics, But Not Backward
Current State is not chasing the latest fermentation fad. Robertson is clear about that. He leans toward clean, traditionally processed coffees from a focused group of producing countries. The current lineup includes Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Peru, plus a decaf from Mexico. These are purchased through importers like Shared Source, Swift Coffee Sourcing and Cafe Imports. The goal is not to tell the story of the entire coffee belt or chase breakthroughs in post harvest flavour science. Instead, they showcase terroir and processing methods traditionally associated with each place where the coffees are grown.
Robertson compares it to a high quality Pilsner brewery. Discerning quality in coffee or in a beer is about the fundamentals of processing, not imposing other flavours to make it palatable. It is a philosophy that extends to the espresso program. On one side of the bar, a three group La Marzocco Linea Classic paired with a La Marzocco Swan grinder delivers rich, low acid triple basket shots for classic Italian style drinks. On the other side, a single group La Marzocco GS3 and Bee House drippers handle single origin espresso and manual pourover brews. That side, Robertson says, represents the company's more progressive American coffee perspective. Two distinct approaches under one roof. It is a clever way to cover a lot of ground without being scattered.
The Team Behind the Brand
Current State Coffee Roasting was co founded by Nick Robertson, Josh Greenlee (owner of Seleno Coffee) and David Weber (co founder of Seleno Coffee). Robertson previously worked as green coffee buyer and co founder at Messenger Coffee in Kansas City, Missouri. Kiersten Rex, also a Messenger alum, leads the roasting. The first roasted coffees hit the wholesale market late last year, and the brand publicly launched in January 2026. So this is still very much a new venture. But the team has deep roots in the Kansas City coffee scene. That experience shows in the confidence of the vision.
It is interesting to see a small company take a stance that is almost contrarian in the current coffee landscape. Many new roasters are trying to out do each other with the most exotic processing, the highest scoring microlots, the most Instagrammable drinks. Current State is saying: slow down. Pay attention to the basics. Cultivate a culture of appreciation. Robertson himself said that though the vision is simple, they have a long way to go before they are perfect. The next step is just trying to achieve perfection. That kind of humility is rare. And it is genuine.
The Bigger Picture
This story is not just about one cafe in a Kansas suburb. It is part of a larger movement in specialty coffee that is worth paying attention to. For years, the industry has been obsessed with differentiation. Unique processing, rare varieties, hyper local roasters, limited releases. And that has been great for pushing boundaries. But it has also created a kind of exhaustion. Consumers are overwhelmed. They buy a bag of coffee that tastes like strawberry jam and chocolate cake, and they have no idea where the coffee was grown or how it was processed. The story becomes about flavour manipulation, not origin.
What Current State is doing is a deliberate countercurrent. They are betting that there is a market for clarity and simplicity. That customers in Shawnee (and beyond) want to understand what coffee from Colombia actually tastes like, not what a process can make it taste like. It is the same logic behind the rise of clean, pilsner style beers in a craft beer world dominated by hazy IPAs and pastry stouts. Sometimes you just want a beer that tastes like beer. Sometimes you want a coffee that tastes like coffee.
There is also a geographic angle worth noting. Shawnee is a suburb of Kansas City. Historically, specialty coffee has been an urban phenomenon. But suburban roastery cafes are becoming more common as remote work changes where people live and spend their time. A roastery cafe in a downtown suburban area can serve as a community anchor. It is not just a place to get coffee. It is a place to meet, work, watch roasting happen, and feel part of something. That is a powerful model. And if Current State succeeds, it could inspire similar projects in other mid sized American towns.
Another aspect is the equipment choice. The use of a US Roaster Corp machine is a nod to American manufacturing. And the La Marzocco gear is the gold standard. But the split between Italian classic and progressive American approaches on the bar is a smart way to appeal to different tastes without complicating the menu. It is a lesson in operational simplicity that many cafes could learn from. You do not need a dozen different brewing methods. You need two good ones, executed perfectly.
Finally, there is the cultural side. Robertson talked about cultivating a culture of appreciation. That is not just a marketing slogan. It is a business strategy. When you teach customers to appreciate the basics, they become loyal. They do not chase the next trend. They come back because they trust you to deliver a consistently excellent experience. That is harder to build than a viral social media post, but it lasts longer. Current State is playing the long game. And in an industry that often focuses on the immediate, that is refreshing.
What's Next for Current State?
Right now, the focus is on filling the space they have. Figuring out what Shawnee wants most. Robertson said they want to stay present and keep improving. That might mean expanding the menu, adding more retail, or launching events. But it probably will not mean opening a dozen locations overnight. The brand is called Current State for a reason. It is about being present, paying attention to coffee, and not rushing ahead to the next thing. That attitude might not make headlines, but it builds something solid. And in a world of constant change, solid is valuable.
Current State Coffee Roasting is located at 11217 Johnson Drive in Shawnee, Kansas. For more industry coverage, subscribe to Daily Coffee News and read related articles on acquisition led expansion and other new roasters to watch in 2026.
