Caffeine. Caffeine. More caffeine.

Multiple different routes. Multiple stops at local coffee shops and roasteries per route. Caffeine at each stop.

This crawl stretches across the nation annually but made a stop in Kansas City.

If you haven't heard of it yet, let me tell you all about it. Introducing.....the 2022 KC Fall Caffeine Crawl!

The 12th annual KC Caffeine Crawl took place on November 5th and 6th, 2022 making it the 129th caffeine crawl ever hosted across the United States.

This crawl highlighted almost 30 participating coffee shops and roasters in the Greater KC area. There were a total of 9 routes with 4-5 different stops each...your choice on which route to go on!

The 2022 KC ticket price was $36.50 per person which was SUCH a steal considering we were given large samples of coffees, lattes, teas, and pastries at each stop. We were also educated on the history of the business/roastery and given the opportunity to meet KC local owners and managers. Lastly, we were provided swag such as stickers and coupons for free beverages and pastries.

I was on route 4 with a friend of mine from college (MIZ BABY)! This route encouraged us to meet several new friends in the KC area (including those who drove 4 hours to come). Route 4 started at 10:00am and ended at 1:55pm. Our route had 5 stops with a total self driving distance of 17.5 miles. We started at Joy Coffee at 10:00 am and then we made our way to Main Street Coffee, Parisi Coffee at Union Station, ​The Filling Station (Gillham location), and ended at ​Mother Earth Coffee Co.

Joy Coffee

Location: 14300 E US Hwy 40, Independence, MO 64055

Joy Coffee is a locally owned coffee found inside of a church in Independence, Missouri. It is actually the closest locally owned coffee shop off the highway headed into Kansas City. Joy Coffee was explained as a base level experience and introduction into elevated coffee. Not only do locals visit this coffee shop, but the travelers from Colorado and Illinois are known to frequently visit! At this first stop we enjoyed an oat milk maple brown sugar latte, drip coffee, and an autumn spice biscotti with an almond crunch topping.

Link to Joy Coffee website

Main Street Coffee House

Location: 107 S Main St, Independence, MO 64050

Our second stop on the crawl was at Main Street Coffee House. This coffee shop is also locally owned and can be found in the historic Independence town square. At this stop, we enjoyed a cup of their seasonal Witches Brew - orange spiced tea cider. This cider is so delicious it will have you questioning how there are NO apples in the drink!

Planning a trip to this area? There are plenty of museums and tours that you can take in this historic downtown square.

Link to Main Street Coffee House website

Parisi Coffee

Location: 30 W Pershing Rd #100, Kansas City, MO 64108 (Multiple - Union Station)

The third stop on the KC Caffeine Crawl was at the Parisi Coffee found inside of Union Station. There are a few locations for Parisi throughout the city if this location isn't near you! Parisi is known for roasting the highest quality of beans around the world. We tasted an iced apricot and almond latte with an amaretto cherry on top. We also enjoyed a Mexican Bourbon Oaxaca warm beverage paired with a cinnamon scone. The bourbon for this drink was procured from Weston, Missouri!

Take a look around Union Station while you are visiting this coffee shop!

Link to Parisi Coffee - Union Station website

​The Filling Station

Location: 2980 McGee Trafficway Kansas City, MO 64108 (Multiple - Midtown location)

The fourth stop for route 4 was at The Filling Station in Midtown. The Filling Station can also be found at a few other locations throughout the Greater Kansas City area! This stop was unique because we tried two of their coffees paired with the fruits/nuts/flavors from the region the beans were grown in. The Maria Reyes coffee was paired with almonds and mango juice to highlight the tastes within the beverage. The second drink was the Alex Ponce coffee paired with green apples and chocolate water. Both coffees were uniquely different in taste and smoothness!

The Filling Station is a great spot to grab breakfast or coffee with a friend or significant other. It was pretty busy when we went but the vibe was fun and exciting. There is seating outside if you enjoy sitting on patios.

Link to The Filling Station website

Mother Earth Coffee Co

Location: 3504 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111

Our last stop was at Mother Earth Coffee Co at the Gillham location (there are multiple Mother Earth Coffee shops within the KC area as well). We tried their drip coffee, iced vanilla latte, and their cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls were so tasty that several of the people on the crawl purchased extra to go! This spot is spacious and very clean. If you work remote in the KC area, this would be a great spot to get some items accomplished in a quiet area!

Link to Mother Earth Coffee website

Disappointed you missed it? Don't be!

This is an annual fun-packed crawl that can be found in several other cities like Houston, San Diego, Denver, Indianapolis, and more! See a list of where they hosted events in 2022 here.

I can't forget to give a HUGE shoutout to Yelp KC for providing our two tickets for free. We had such a blast adventuring to unique coffee shops in the Greater Kansas City area.

Check out @YelpKC on Instagram!

Link to KC Crawl information