Need a lot of pep in your step? Tickets for the first-ever Caffeine Crawl, organized by local beverage impresario Lab 5702, go on sale Monday.
The Caffeine Crawl from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, September 17, is a guided tour that stops in independent Kansas City coffee and tea shops.
"We're trying to fill the gap and break down the wall where a customer might be OK buying specialty coffee, but not know how to talk to a barista," Lab 5702 founder Jason Burton says.
The tour will begin for everyone at the new Parisi Coffee in Union Station. After that, there will be two tracks, each stopping into five coffee shops -- Burton acknowledged that 10 stops might be a bit much for even the most ardent coffee drinkers.
The Broadway Cafe, Crossroads Coffee House, E.F. Hobbs, Filling Station, Mud Pie, Oddly Correct, One More Cup, Parisi, the Roasterie, and the Teahouse & Coffeepot are participating. Lab 5702 is going to announce which coffeehouse will be featured on which track next Monday, when tickets go on sale.
Participants in the Caffeine Crawl will have a tour guide on their chartered bus who will talk between stops about the history of coffee in Kansas City and also what's going to happen at each shop. The coffeehouses will be offering a five- to 10-minute, hands-on demonstration on everything from coffee to alternative milks. They'll also be providing samples and coffee drinks (the cost of which is included in the ticket).
"Here's a chance to come into the city and visit places that you might not go to," Burton says.
Tickets cost $25 -- only 100 tickets are available. You can purchase them online at CaffeineCrawl.com (which will go live on Monday).
