The Ten Cup

The Ten Cup began with a simple vision: create a coffeehouse that served more than coffee. Built around the belief that business could become a force for good, the concept combined hospitality, charitable giving, and community into a single experience where every detail reinforced the mission.

The chosen home was a historic neighborhood pharmacy that generations of local residents remembered as the corner store with its soda fountain. During construction, what was expected to be a straightforward renovation quickly became a major restoration after severe mold and structural failure were discovered beneath the floors. The project expanded into months of demolition, rebuilding, fundraising, engineering, and negotiations before the vision could move forward.

From the beginning, the project was approached as a complete brand experience rather than simply an interior renovation. I developed the brand identity, environmental graphics, interior design, customer experience, and visual atmosphere as one cohesive story. Warm wood finishes, handcrafted details, original artwork, custom murals, vintage furnishings, and layered lighting were intentionally selected to create an environment that felt timeless, welcoming, and deeply connected to the building's history.

One of the most rewarding moments came after opening, when longtime neighborhood residents visited and shared memories of sitting at the original soda fountain as children decades earlier. Those conversations confirmed that the project had become more than a coffeehouse—it had restored a place of shared community memory while giving it a new purpose for future generations.

Within its first year, The Ten Cup received Best Local Business honors from KC Magazine while attracting national recognition, including coverage in Food & Wine Magazine, where the editor-in-chief traveled from New York to feature the café's signature cupcakes. The recognition reflected not only the food and concept, but the complete experience that the project was designed to create.

The Ten Cup remains one of the most comprehensive projects of my career, blending branding, interior architecture, storytelling, and hospitality into a single destination where design became the foundation for community connection.