A coffee trailer that built a devoted following at the Overland Park Farmers Market has finally put down roots. Black Rose Coffee Co. has opened its first brick-and-mortar location inside Entity Lounge, a cocktail bar at 11216 Switzer Road that hands over its espresso machine each morning before switching to craft cocktails at night.
The shop, co-owned by siblings Marissa Ray and Dalton Ray, began as a converted 1960s trailer serving coffee and breakfast sandwiches, according to The Kansas City Star. The collaboration with Entity Lounge started in July, and the permanent daytime cafe opened a little more than a month later. Entity Lounge itself launched in June 2024 as a dual-concept venue, founded by longtime friends Kirt Rithmixay, Belly Vang and Patricia Ghavami to serve specialty coffee by day and craft cocktails by night, per the Johnson County Post.
From Farmers Market Stall to Storefront
Black Rose debuted at the Overland Park Farmers Market, and Marissa Ray said the business was overwhelmed on its first market day in 2025, according to the Star's report. She said regular market customers showed up to support the new permanent location, and told the outlet that the opening felt like a positive milestone for the business. On opening day, the shop saw waves of customers, the paper noted.
The Star's report quotes longtime customer Mary Ann Dolan, who visited the new storefront and praised the food, saying Black Rose Coffee Co. has excellent pastries. Black Rose is not abandoning its market roots: Ray said the company will continue attending the farmers market and doing pop-ups and private events even with a storefront now open. That market has plenty of pedigree to lean on — the Overland Park Farmers Market was voted “America's Favorite Farmers Market” in 2022 after pulling more than 12,000 votes in a national competition among 7,000 participating markets, according to the Johnson County Post. It has also served as a launchpad for other local vendors, including taqueria Taco Naco KC, which held market pop-ups in 2020 and has a restaurant at 8220 Metcalf Avenue, the outlet reported. The Kansas Department of Agriculture said more than 110 farmers' markets were registered statewide in 2025, underscoring the scale of the market network in which Black Rose built its following.
What's on the Menu
The menu leans on a signature Black Rose latte made with black sesame, rose and vanilla, priced at $7 for a 12-ounce cup and $7.50 for 16 ounces. Customers wary of floral flavors are steered toward the cardamom latte instead, per the Star's account. Espresso drinks, matcha, teas and egg bites round out the drink and snack lineup, alongside assorted pastries.
Food options include a signature breakfast sandwich for $10 and a loaded breakfast burrito, plus a breakfast sandwich built with custard egg, bacon, pepper jam, scallion aioli and a potato bun, served on a hashbrown side for an extra dollar. Drinks and other items across the menu run between $3.50 and $8.25, according to the same report.
Behind the Beans
Black Rose brews with beans from Hermetheus Coffee, an Olathe-based roaster. Founder Jason Scott, a former Olathe elementary school teacher and IT professional, built a proprietary robotic roasting system called the Roaster Co-Pilot that adjusts roasting heat twice per second, according to the City of Olathe. What started as a personal hobby has scaled quickly: Hermetheus acquired Idaho-based equipment manufacturer Coffee Crafters in December, with manufacturing operations continuing, per Daily Coffee News. Locally, Hermetheus also runs its own cafe inside the Downtown Olathe Library at 260 East Santa Fe Street.
Before landing at Entity Lounge, Black Rose tested suburban demand with hyper-local pop-ups, according to a post shared on Facebook. The Switzer Road location sits within the multi-building CityPlace development near College Boulevard, a mix of luxury apartments with ground-floor retail and wellness businesses, the Johnson County Post has reported. The business is located on Switzer Road.
Hours and What's Next
Black Rose Coffee Co. is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday through September 1, after which hours shift to Tuesday through Saturday, per the Star's reporting. The shop will also host pop-ups and private events going forward, and Black Rose plans to keep its farmers market presence every Wednesday and Saturday.
