BonnerSprings.com

Though Bonner Springs newest coffee house’s first week customer count was “terrible,” as John Robison said, he is expecting things to start looking up soon.

“There’s a foot and a half of snow piled up in front of our front door, and you add up all the temperatures of the last week and it equals 20,” Robison, who is the owner of the Roving Imp Theater and Coffee House, said of the amount of customers he was able to draw to the coffee house’s first week of business. “So things can only get better from here.”

The Coffee House, a new addition to the improvisational theater located at 115 Oak St., opened Jan. 4.

But Robison said the idea to open a coffee shop came about when temperatures weren’t so frigid, at the beginning of June.

“The inspiration (to open a coffee house) came because we have this great space, and it’s only open to the public maybe six hours a week,” Robison said. “And we thought, we need to get some more use of this space.”

Robison’s theater offers improvisational shows and classes during the weekends, but is largely closed for business throughout the week. He said he believed coffee and theater went hand in hand. To illustrate his point, he recited a coffee expert’s quote he recently found in a book about coffee.

“He said that coffee is an intellectual beverage,” Robison said. “He said coffee is to the intellectuals what alcohol is to the masses, and we tend to get a more intellectual audience here, and they are more prone to drink coffee.”

Instead of expanding the building size, Robison simply added a coffee bar to the lobby area — complete with espresso machine, mini fridge and a range of flavorful syrups — and took out some of the seating in the theater to make room for couches and a couple of tables.

Robison said he has five co-owners in the business, all of whom perform at the theater regularly. He and the other owners tasted coffees from 25 to 30 different varieties of beans before deciding on a coffee bean roasted out of Minneapolis. He said that one tasted the best, and from this bean, Robison and company will provide everything from drip coffee to cappuccino to a long list of specialty drinks created by Robison and named after villains.

Some of the drinks include the Annie Wilkes — the antagonist in Stephen King’s “Misery” and the name of Robison’s coffee mixed with almond and vanilla flavoring — and the Dharma Initiative — from the popular series “Lost,” and a secret recipe that “will all make sense by the bottom of the cup,” as guaranteed by the drink menu.

Robison said he was trying to create an atmosphere that would speak to trendsters and nerds alike, and the names of his coffees helped to cement this idea.

“It’s one of those little things that fits into our atmosphere of trendy-nerdy,” Robison said.

The Roving Imp Theater and Coffee House will have free WiFi, with the purchase of coffee, and late night hours — 2:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday.

There will be events, such as open jam sessions and trivia competitions, on a nightly basis in addition to the comedy shows the theater will offer each weekend as it always has.

Robison said it was about time there was a coffee shop in downtown Bonner, especially after the void left by Elsner’s Jet Fuel Coffee shop, which closed last year.

“I have people all the time that walk up to (Jet Fuel Coffee) down the street and had been disappointed that it had been closed,” Robison said. “And the whole time (I would say) hold on, I’m getting the coffee shop ready. It’s coming.”

A full drink menu and event schedule are available at rovingimp.com. Robison said prices of coffees range from $1.55 for drip coffee, and $4.35 for specialty drinks.

The Roving Imp Theater and Coffee House also offers hot chocolate, biscotti and muffins and several varieties of hot tea.

Comments

1. 

   Lysander (anonymous) says…

   Wow. I was excited to see a coffee shop in Bonner Springs. Coffee is an amazing drink, but to say that it is to intellectuals what alcohol is to the masses is just pompous. I consider myself an intellectual; after all, I have a masters degree, and can intelligently discuss most any classic literature -- yet I still enjoy a glass of wine or a decent beer. Not to mention the "Masses" seem to enjoy a good cup of coffee, or so seem to think both Starbucks and McDonalds. I applaud Mr. Robinson on his new venture; however, I would suggest that as a business owner, he might consider his words as to not offend the "masses"

   January 22, 2010 at 6:47 p.m.

   • permalink
   • reply
   • suggest removal