Every coffee shop has its own vibe… often a reflection of the management’s personality.  There is a noticeable difference between walking into a Starbuck’s versus The Roasterie!  Waldo has a new coffee cafe with its own distinct atmosphere, very much reflective of its owner, Brian Denman.  

Apparition Coffee opened last month in the same space as the former Second Best Coffee, at 328 W 85th St.  When I stopped by on a Monday morning recently to chat with Brian, business was brisk!  Brian has extensive experience with coffee culture; as a youngster, his parents took him to cafes often and he enjoyed the sense of community and welcoming environment.  In his late teens, he knew owning such a place himself would be  “a fun thing to do”.  He put this dream aside for a few years as he played bass in metal bands and toured the country.  In 2016, he moved to Kansas City to be with his girlfriend (now his wife), and decided it was time to explore a career change.  He worked at a few coffee shops including the popular Blackdog Coffee house in Lenexa.  He also opened his own place in downtown Kansas City.   

When he learned this Waldo space was available through a fellow employee and friend, he decided to go for it. He wanted to merge his fondness for heavy metal music and coffee…so that’s the distinct vibe you will experience that sets this place apart from others:  a personally curated music list by Brian, with an emphasis on metal bands.  He thought the name Apparition fit because the shop’s logo is a graphic ghost.  

There are three popular specialty drinks unique to Apparition: The Beet Down, the Tarragon Lie and, of course, The Apparition.  Employees make all the flavorings in house (except for caramel); the beans are roasted locally by Flowstate Coffee.  Baked goods are homemade by another employee (hand pies and scones); cookies are from CookiT bakery.  The breakfast burritos are popular here (with meat or vegan) and the wall menu notes that specialty milks are “FREE AF”–no upcharge! Works by local artists on the walls are available for purchase.  

Apparition Coffee fits so well as a locally owned Waldo business– the staff is friendly and personable, prices are reasonable and parking is easy!  “I’d like to give a big thank you to the whole neighborhood and our staff”, says Brian. “Everyone has showed us a lot of love and it’s been very cool”.  Check out the Apparition vibe for yourself; hours are 7am-2pm Monday through Friday and 8am-2pm Saturday.