For Michaela Krueger and Luka Pivk, it all started with coffee.
While Krueger was on vacation in Croatia last summer, she walked into a café there and immediately saw Pivk, who was working at the café at the time.
Months after that first encounter, Pivk visited Krueger in the United States that fall. From there, as they tell it, the rest was history.
So it makes sense that roughly a year later, the couple would be starting a new chapter with the thing that brought them together — European coffee — at the center of it.
This summer, Krueger and Pivk will open their new coffee shop, Dolce Caffè in Olathe. A “soft opening” is planned for July 1, followed by a grand opening on July 15.
Dolce Caffè is coming to 435 S. Parker St.
- The coffee shop is moving into a space just off Elm and Parker streets in Olathe.
- Previously, the space was home to the Sams Tastee Treat (formerly the Tastee Freez) drive-in, before it closed a few years ago.
- Once it opens, Dolce Caffè’s hours will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Dolce Caffè will serve “European-style” coffee
The shop will serve coffee made from Austrian brand Julius Meinl.
“In my opinion, it’s one of the best coffees,” Pivk said.
The menu will feature traditional drinks like cappuccinos like Americanos, but customers who want something a bit sweeter will also be able to opt for flavored lattes or frappés.
“It’ll be very unique to the area and high quality,” Krueger said.
In addition to coffee, Dolce Caffè will also offer a limited selection of baked goods.
The name of the shop comes from the Italian phrase “Dolce far niente” (which is also the shop’s motto). In English, it translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing.”
The shop itself will have a “European-minimalist” interior — lots of blacks, whites and greenery.
The couple said the shop will also lend itself to both on-the-go, convenience-driven customers, and those who want to slow down and connect over a cup of coffee inside.
“I love just the sentimental nostalgic value with coffee,” Krueger said. “Growing up, my grandmother would get up really early at 5 a.m. and brew a pot of coffee, and that’s when she and I would have our most intimate conversations about life. And then when I was able to travel abroad and see all the different cultures of coffee, it just got me hooked even more.”
The building’s history goes back several decades
The Olathe building has been vacant for a few years, but it housed a Tastee Freez drive-in starting in the 1960s, serving burgers and ice cream.
From Olathe herself, Krueger said she already knew the building well and envisioned a cafe there for a long time. Eventually, she decided to take that vision into her own hands.
“It’s an Olathe staple,” she said. “I’d drive past it every day on the way to work, and for several years, I thought ‘Man, I’d really love to grab a cup of coffee there. Someday I hope someone turns it into a cafe.’ And eventually I was like, ‘Why don’t I?’”
As a nod to the building’s history, Dolce Caffè’s menu will feature an item or two — a “cold brew float”, maybe — in honor of the Tastee Freez.
Beyond Olathe, Krueger and Pivk are already considering bringing Dolce Caffè to other parts of Johnson County.
To start, though, they look forward to starting a legacy in Olathe.
“I’m (looking forward to) just connecting with people, bringing back community and maybe bringing the building itself back to life like it used to be,” Pivk said. “Just creating a story that inspires other people.”
Want more food and drink news? Missouri-based PaPPo’s Pizzeria making Johnson County debut
