Small Business Grant Success Story: Kitchen House Coffee

In 2014, Paul Whitsitt and David Rodgers followed their dream to open Kitchen House Coffee in St. Louis City’s Tower Grove East Neighborhood. The coffee shop would become an extension of their Kitchen House Farm operation, providing eggs, fruits, vegetables and honey to the community, and later incorporating them into the Coffee House’s menu. During the initial season of growth, Kitchen House Coffee experienced great success and even added a second location for a short time.

However, in 2020 when COVID hit, Kitchen House Coffee and many other businesses were forced to close their doors for nearly three months while thinking of new ways to pivot their business in the onslaught of the economic shutdown. After this brief period, Whitsett and Rodgers shifted to creating an online store and offering menu options for curbside pickup. While this pivoted option worked for the Coffee House, the owners noticed that their Point-of-Sale system was becoming frayed and was beginning to fail. At that time, the business owners realized they needed to update their POS system to serve their customers better.

Because the owners were still in the midst of their economic recovery, they began to seek help from their Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia, who informed them about the Small Business Recovery Grant offered by the St. Louis Development Corporation. After updating and reviewing their tax status and business licensing with the City of St. Louis, they obtained the $5,000 grant to upgrade their system. They are truly excited and grateful for the City of St. Louis stepping in to help upgrade their business during their time of need! The rest of the story is history!

Sadly, in a Facebook post on March 26, 2023, the owners of Kitchen House announced their decision to close.