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City Grounds is dream business for new owner
By Glen Reese
Raytown resident Inge Howard has always wanted to own a business.
Her dream came true when she purchased City Grounds Coffee Shop, at 6200 Raytown Trafficway, Feb. 26.
“My first job I ever had worked at was McDonald’s,” Howard said. “I always thought I needed my own franchise. It was always so expensive. When I found out this shop was closing I went to me husband and he told me, ‘Why not?’ The rest is history.”
Howard is originally from Denmark. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 17, more than 30 years ago. She’s lived in Raytown for the past 12 years.
The coffee shop is a family business for Howard. Her son, Jack Christensen, her daughter, Rachel Howard, and her mother, Mona Ebeck, all work there.
Rachel Howard wasn’t sold on the idea of her mom buying the shop at first.
“I thought she was crazy,” Rachel said. “But I’m having a lot of fun. Most of our customers are really nice. It’s a good story.”
City Grounds serves espressos, americanos, cappucinnos, lattes, mochas, caramellos, horchatas and red eyes, along with hot chocolate, hot tea and chai tea lattes.
Cold drinks include Italian sodas, chai tea, horchatas, iced lattes, iced mochas, iced carmellos, coffee frappes and fruit smoothies.
Boba tea is being added to the menu. It’s a tea drink that originated from Asia. There are pearls, which are usually made of tapioca, that sit in the bottom of the drink and consumed through a wide straw.
Rachel Howard experiments to come up with specialty drinks. Rachel’s Special has chocolate, caramel and coconut in it.
“People come in and ask for that,” Inge Howard said. “They just love it. You can have it hot or cold. There’s also a white chocolate, and macadamia nut one, and there’s a cheesecake one that has fruit or chocolate in it.”
Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., or until the food runs out. The menu includes biscuits and gravy, several different biscuit sandwiches, a breakfast panini, a panwich, a breakfast quesadilla and a bagel sandwich. They also usually have muffins and cookies.
Things have been going well at the coffee shop through the first month, Inge Howard said.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “I love it. I get to sit down and talk to customers when I have time. We’re just going to take things one day at a time and figure it out as we go along. It’s been really cool.”
Inge Howard is planning to have a grand opening Saturday, April 12. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Howard’s husband, Roger, will be playing the guitar and banjo. There will be free coffee and cake.
City Grounds is open 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. If business is busy, City Grounds will stay open until there are no longer any customers, Inge Howard said.
Staff writer Glen Reese can be reached at 358-6397 or greese@npgco.com.
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Her dream came true when she purchased City Grounds Coffee Shop, at 6200 Raytown Trafficway, Feb. 26.
“My first job I ever had worked at was McDonald’s,” Howard said. “I always thought I needed my own franchise. It was always so expensive. When I found out this shop was closing I went to me husband and he told me, ‘Why not?’ The rest is history.”
Howard is originally from Denmark. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 17, more than 30 years ago. She’s lived in Raytown for the past 12 years.
The coffee shop is a family business for Howard. Her son, Jack Christensen, her daughter, Rachel Howard, and her mother, Mona Ebeck, all work there.
Rachel Howard wasn’t sold on the idea of her mom buying the shop at first.
“I thought she was crazy,” Rachel said. “But I’m having a lot of fun. Most of our customers are really nice. It’s a good story.”
City Grounds serves espressos, americanos, cappucinnos, lattes, mochas, caramellos, horchatas and red eyes, along with hot chocolate, hot tea and chai tea lattes.
Cold drinks include Italian sodas, chai tea, horchatas, iced lattes, iced mochas, iced carmellos, coffee frappes and fruit smoothies.
Boba tea is being added to the menu. It’s a tea drink that originated from Asia. There are pearls, which are usually made of tapioca, that sit in the bottom of the drink and consumed through a wide straw.
Rachel Howard experiments to come up with specialty drinks. Rachel’s Special has chocolate, caramel and coconut in it.
“People come in and ask for that,” Inge Howard said. “They just love it. You can have it hot or cold. There’s also a white chocolate, and macadamia nut one, and there’s a cheesecake one that has fruit or chocolate in it.”
Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., or until the food runs out. The menu includes biscuits and gravy, several different biscuit sandwiches, a breakfast panini, a panwich, a breakfast quesadilla and a bagel sandwich. They also usually have muffins and cookies.
Things have been going well at the coffee shop through the first month, Inge Howard said.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “I love it. I get to sit down and talk to customers when I have time. We’re just going to take things one day at a time and figure it out as we go along. It’s been really cool.”
Inge Howard is planning to have a grand opening Saturday, April 12. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Howard’s husband, Roger, will be playing the guitar and banjo. There will be free coffee and cake.
City Grounds is open 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. If business is busy, City Grounds will stay open until there are no longer any customers, Inge Howard said.
Staff writer Glen Reese can be reached at 358-6397 or greese@npgco.com.