Raytown resident Inge Howard has always wanted to own a business.
Her dream came true when she purchased City Grounds Coffee Shop, at 6200 Raytown Trafficway, Feb. 26.
“My first job I ever had worked at was McDonald’s,” Howard said. “I always thought I needed my own franchise. It was always so expensive. When I found out this shop was closing I went to me husband and he told me, ‘Why not?’ The rest is history.”
Howard is originally from Denmark. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 17, more than 30 years ago. She’s lived in Raytown for the past 12 years.
The coffee shop is a family business for Howard. Her son, Jack Christensen, her daughter, Rachel Howard, and her mother, Mona Ebeck, all work there.
Rachel Howard wasn’t sold on the idea of her mom buying the shop at first.
“I thought she was crazy,” Rachel said. “But I’m having a lot of fun. Most of our customers are really nice. It’s a good story.”
City Grounds serves espressos, americanos, cappucinnos, lattes, mochas, caramellos, horchatas and red eyes, along with hot chocolate, hot tea and chai tea lattes.
Cold drinks include Italian sodas, chai tea, horchatas, iced lattes, iced mochas, iced carmellos, coffee frappes and fruit smoothies.
Boba tea is being added to the menu. It’s a tea drink that originated from Asia. There are pearls, which are usually made of tapioca, that sit in the bottom of the drink and consumed through a wide straw.
Rachel Howard experiments to come up with specialty drinks. Rachel’s Special has chocolate, caramel and coconut in it.
Image from Stock.xchng.
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