In August, a locally-owned juicery started a brand new chapter in Johnson County.
It’s been roughly eight years since Zen Donkey Farms got its start, on Kate Barker Sternberg’s farm in Missouri. Since she and her husband, Andy Sternberg, launched their juice business, its customers have been eager to have a place to grab their favorite juices in person.
Now they have one.
Since Zen Donkey Wellness Cafe and Juicery officially opened its doors in Johnson County, Barker Sternberg said she’s been enjoying the steady stream of customers who have come through their doors at a storefront just off Shawnee Mission Parkway.
Zen Donkey opened at 2812 W. 53rd St.
- The cafe took over a space on the west end of the historic Fairway Shops, just off 53rd Street and Shawnee Mission Parkway.
- The spot had been vacant for at least a couple of years, but it was previously occupied by an architectural firm’s office.
- Zen Donkey is currently open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday — though Barker Sternberg said those hours are still subject to change.
Zen Donkey offers organic juices and healthy eats
The café’s cold-pressed juices are sold by the bottle, coming in a variety of flavors.
Some of those flavors include the “Jolly Jack” (with green apple, lemon, broccoli, kale and mint) and the “Pico’s Punch” (watermelon, strawberry, lemon and mint).
Each juice is vegan and has no additives.
“We’re not adding processed sugars — it’s really nutrient-dense and awesome for you,” Barker Sternberg said. “Everything is plant-based, organic and sourced locally when possible.”
While juice is how Zen Donkey primarily got its start, the menu at the new café expands beyond that, with other beverages like “superfood” smoothies, sparkling waters and cold brews.
The “purple moon brew” — a cold brew with ube (a type of purple sweet potato), cashew milk and dates — has been a particularly popular menu item so far, Barker Sternberg said.
Beyond beverages, the shop offers a variety of healthy grab-and-go eats, such as power bowls, wraps, salads and chia cups. The menu will rotate seasonally.
Customers can also find non-edible items at the cafe, such as Zen Donkey’s branded line of natural skincare products and donkey-themed merch, including T-shirts.
Though the cafe’s menu lends itself to on-the-go options, the space itself does have some seating for customers who want to stick around.
“We completely took the entire place down to the studs,” Barker Sternberg said. “We wanted a really timeless, minimalist style that was also warm and friendly and welcoming.”
Zen Donkey has an animal-centered cause behind it
Customers might notice photos of the brand’s namesake, donkeys, on the walls of the new café.
It’s not solely a decor choice.
Zen Donkey Farms also operates as a nonprofit, aimed at raising awareness about how donkeys are harmed by the global donkey skin trade.
The company’s nonprofit, the Zen Donkey Experience, connects people in the Kansas City area with rescue donkeys for therapeutic purposes — aiming to provide a mutually-beneficial environment for humans and donkeys to “heal and flourish together.”
The donkeys pictured along the cafe’s walls are, in fact, donkeys from the Missouri farm where that occurs.
“We’ll have different donkeys featured every season,” Barker Sternberg said.
Since launching as a delivery-only business and then making appearances at farmers’ markets and other pop-ups over the last several years, Barker Sternberg said Zen Donkey’s following has continued to steadily grow. When customers began asking for an in-person storefront, it felt like a natural next step.
“The community’s really showing up for us,” she said. “This is really just a natural extension of where we came from. The community was really asking for it, and we just had to find the right spot.”
If all goes well, customers can expect to see more Zen Donkey storefronts later on. But for now, she said, she’s enjoying the brand’s first foray into serving customers in person.
“I think my favorite part is watching people connect in here,” she said. “I underestimated the beauty and the power of just people sitting down together, having a juice with their kids. It’s been really fun to watch the space come to life with people.”
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