Profile: Cafe Europa
When change came, these small business owners rolled with it: see what Cafe Europa is up to in 2020!
All photos by Katie Sellers
One of Kansas City’s oldest neighborhoods boasts a quaint corner of shops that have been serving the KC community for nearly 100 years: Crestwood. Within the shops lies Café Europa, a welcoming neighborhood café that opened their doors in 2008, that has since become a favorite to many over the years.
What previously operated as an intimate dining experience in a space filled with tables and chairs, the restaurant faced abrupt change in the wake of COVID-19. Owner Ben Cascio channeled inspiration from his entrepreneurial grandparents’ grocery store from back in the 1950s to curate and set into motion a plan to transform Café Europa into a gourmet grocery store that would still embody the environment, ambiance, and experience that made the dining room so special.
Now, visitors from near and far are greeted with shelves of the finest quality of European specialty goods that will allow customers to bring the taste of Café Europa right to their home. Pair the high quality Colavita pasta with Scimeca’s famous spaghetti sauce (including cooking tips from the chefs themselves!); indulge on almond biscotti to compliment the bag of Parisi coffee you’ve purchased to brew at home; or pick-up ingredients to make a charcuterie board with tastes of Italy to share before dinner.
But loyal patrons and those new to Café Europa can still enjoy items off the classic menu that have made the restaurant a tried and true local favorite (hello, lemon cake). Guests may order ahead for carry out or explore the market area for ready-made entrees and bakery goods to grab-and-go.
The evolution of Café Europa has been a silver lining in the midst of entrepreneurial uncertainty. While many businesses were forced to make tough decisions about their future, Café Europe embraced the opportunity to evolve in ways that were unimaginable before. Today, the Café Europa family looks to expand their new operating model (which will of course include the return to dining in) into other parts of the Kansas City metro, bringing the experience closer to homes around town.
Next time you’re in the heart of Kansas City, make your way to Café Europa to experience, where you “arrive as a guest, become a friend, and return as family.”
For more information, visit www.cafeeuropakc.com or on Instagram at @cafeeuropakc.
