Going to the 45th Street Coffeehouse is like stepping into a cozy living room. Groups of big, overstuffed chairs are clustered around coffee tables, and fluffy, leopard-print pillows sit on a wide seat in front of a picture window. The smell of cinnamon and spice fills the air from a burning candle, and an espresso machine whirrs in the background. Over soft jazz, coffee drinkers can sit and chat or gather for a game of poker (playing cards sit in a glass dish) or a chess match. "I want everyone to feel at home in here, no matter who they are," says owner Tom Haas. (He even provides dog bones for canine guests, who are welcome on the shop's large patio, where many people gather to eat breakfast burritos or quiche on weekend mornings.) There's live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, and some people like to come for coffee, entertainment and dessert (such as a "killer carrot cake") after having dinner on 39th Street. The coffee shop, Haas says, is unique in Kansas City. "I didn't copy anyone," he says. "I just tried to make it how I think the ideal coffee shop should be."
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