PARISI SELECTS LOCAL COMPANIES TO DIRECT DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION

Helix Architecture + Design and Centric Projects to Create  Unique Venue for Community with Parisi Café

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City-based Parisi Artisan Coffee is working with local partners Centric Projects and Helix Architecture + Design for the design and construction management of the company’s first coffee shop to be located inside Kansas City’s historic Union Station.

Scheduled to open in August, the 1,200-square-foot Parisi Café will be located on the main level adjacent to the Grand Hall of Union Station at 30 W. Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo.

“We have taken careful consideration in selecting Helix and Centric Projects as our partners for our flagship café” said Joe Paris, co-founder of Parisi Coffee. “The bar has been set high for both the design and construction of this project because we want to create more than a coffee shop. Our vision is to create a gathering place for the community. As local, entrepreneurial companies, Helix and Centric share our artistic vision not only for the Parisi Café experience but, for our city as well.”

The Café’s creative twist on the traditional coffee shop will offer customers:
• hand crafted brewing: each cup of coffee individually brewed at the time of the order
• dining space both inside as well as outside the café in Union Station’s main plaza
• dine-in and take-out menu featuring handcrafted breakfast and lunch items prepared by the Café chef
• varied selection of offerings from local food artisans including Smallcakes cupcakes, Hippy Chow granola and Tallgrass Toffee
• full menu of espresso-based drinks, teas and traditional Italian sodas as well as seasonal items such as gelato and specialty desserts
• specialty coffee flights and coffee/food pairings
• the opportunity to sample individual flavor profiles using Parisi’s single origin coffees and custom crafted blends
• catering for events inside Union Station in addition to Parisi’s existing catering services throughout the metropolitan area
• retail section of fresh Parisi Coffee by the bag and coffee products such as mugs and coffee makers

“We’re especially proud to roast our coffee small batch, artisan style and that’s why we chose to support other local Kansas City entrepreneurs who also make their own products artisan style,” said Scott Presnell, Director of Marketing for Parisi. “Because of our ties with local artisans as well as visual and performance artists, we intend the café to become a community gathering place for those with artistic vision… and maybe those who just need a little pick-me-up to help gain some artistic vision.”

Parisi coffee imports and roasts select premium coffees at its historic, certified organic coffee roasting facility in downtown Kansas City, Mo. near I-35 and Southwest Boulevard in the Crossroads District. All Parisi coffees are hand-crafted and either certified Fair Trade, organic or certified through the company’s own artisan standard called Eco World Family Farm.

About Centric Projects
Centric Projects is a new generation of builder in Kansas City. Founded in 2010, Centric Projects is an agile, flexible and nimble commercial construction company and is currently completing work for Trader Joe’s, Tavern in the Village, Global Prairie, Shook Hardy & Bacon, Westrope and Armstrong Teasdale from its office in the Crossroads Arts District.

About Helix
Founded in Kansas City, Mo. in 1992, Helix Architecture + Design is a premier design firm recognized for work of outstanding quality, superior client service and leadership in the community. The company provides architectural and interior design services for clients who want to make a difference. Helix emphasizes the “process and appropriateness” of its solutions as the instruments for achieving successful design results.

About Parisi Artisan Coffee
Parisi Artisan Coffee was founded in 2006 in Kansas City, Mo. by a longtime local Italian family who had established several successful artisan food companies under the parent company, Paris Brothers Inc. In addition to nearly 4,500 artisan foods imported, manufactured and distributed in Midwest retail and grocery stores, the company specializes in manufacturing artisan-style specialty coffee with a passion for Italian espressos. All Parisi coffees are small batch roasted using a unique roasting technique called drum roasting at the company’s Kansas City production facility off Southwest Boulevard near downtown. Parisi Artisan Coffee is available at Midwest regional food stores as well as served at fine Kansas City area restaurants.

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