Places where quality coffee and crafted cocktails are served under the same roof have been a part of Kansas City’s food and drink scene now for over a decade. Although caffeine and alcohol may have once been thought to occupy opposite parts of the day, today many find it the perfect profitable combination, allowing them to serve their customers from day to night.
In most cases, these double-duty bars started as popular coffee shops first that morphed into a place to linger and enjoy a cocktail into the evening. Now, there’s a new spot in Overland Park that has flipped the script, operating in a space that’s a cocktail bar first and a coffee bar second.
Entity Lounge and Coffee is located below the Apex at CityPlace apartments. The dramatic and sleek space is decorated in all black, with four large, six-person booths lining one wall, and a long, glamorous bar lighted by a striking contemporary light fixture on the other. The overall effect is dark and moody, perfect for a coffee or cocktail seven days a week.
Entity has several ownership partners, each with their own role to play in running the business. Patricia Ghavami runs Entity Coffee from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and then Belly Vang runs the Entity Lounge from 4 p.m. to midnight. Both are supported by a third financial partner, Kirt Rithmixay, who also owns a nail salon in the same retail center.
During the day, Entity Coffee is filled with computer-toting, coffee-drinking people, looking for a place to drop in for a chat or send off some emails while enjoying barista-made coffee, tea, chilled signature drinks, or smoothies, along with a variety of pastries and cookies.
In the evening, you can reserve a booth or bar seat via Toast for a $40 deposit that’s put toward your total bill. Of course, walk-ins are always welcome. Thursdays through Sundays guests can enjoy a handful of dishes, including their sleeper hit—a bahn mi sandwich—or Mexican-inspired chicken avocado tostadas, pinwheel club sandwich bites, and a charcuterie board. Patrons can select from a compact wine and beer selection or a cocktail menu offering classics like a Vieux Carre (rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, and Benedictine) to more popular drinks like the Paper Plane (bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino). But their most popular drink is the Water Lily, a pretty lavender drink topped with a lemon wheel.
Originally created by New York bartender Richie Boccato, the Water Lily is a floral-forward cocktail crafted with crème de violette, gin, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. The pale lavender color of the drink is enhanced by the use of Empress Gin, which contains butterfly pea blossom, an ingredient known for its distinctive color. It’s also found in the tea blend used at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia.
Easy to make at home, or better yet, make a reservation and try one for yourself.
Water Lily
- 1 ounce Empress Gin
- 1 ounce Crème de Violette
- 1 ounce Dry Curaçao
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
Add Empress Gin, Crème de Violette, Dry Curacao and fresh lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain the mixture into a chilled V-shaped martini or Nick and Nora glass. Serve the cocktail straight up with a lemon wheel for garnish.