Cafe Cà Phê

What Cafe Cà Phê does

Cafe Cà Phê is a Vietnamese coffee shop and cultural brand headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, founded by Jackie Nguyen in October 2020 as the city's first Vietnamese coffee shop. The company operates brick-and-mortar retail outlets and provides event catering, branded merchandise, and paid speaking services anchored by the founder. Menu items are priced in the $3-$7 range, and speaking fees range from voluntary donations to over $1,000.

The business launched as a mobile coffee operation in October 2020 and recorded $186K in sales in 2021. In 2022 it opened its flagship brick-and-mortar cafe in the Columbus Park neighborhood, and in 2023 it added a second location called "Babygirl" in the West Bottoms. The company maintains reported partnerships with Torani, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Chobani, and Rancilio, supplying ingredients and co-branded visibility. The operation is bootstrapped with no disclosed venture funding and a headcount of 1-10 employees.

The company monetizes through multiple streams: in-store coffee and food sales, event catering, merchandise, founder speaking engagements, and a proprietary event IP, the AAPICONIC festival. It has earned external recognition including a 2021 Forbes feature, victory in the UMKC pitch contest in April 2022, and The Pitch's Best of KC 2023 — Best Coffeehouse designation. The founder has delivered 50+ speaking engagements, reinforcing brand visibility beyond the physical retail footprint.

Name

Cafe Cà Phê

Legal name

Cafe Cà Phê

Website

https://cafecaphe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cafe Cà Phê is Kansas City's first Vietnamese coffee shop, operating two retail locations plus event catering, merchandise, and paid speaking services. Founded in 2020 by Jackie Nguyen, the bootstrapped business serves Vietnamese coffee specialties to Kansas City consumers and culturally engaged community audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Shop / Food & Beverage Hospitality

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beverage Service (Coffee/Tea/Juice) & Refreshment Stations (HSACAGAJ)

Keywords

• Vietnamese coffee shop
• Specialty coffee drinks
• Event coffee catering
• Asian American cafe
• Food and beverage hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. In-Store Coffee and Beverage Sales: Revenue from serving Vietnamese coffee drinks, specialty beverages, and food items at two physical locations in Kansas City.
2. Event Catering and Pop-ups: Coffee catering services for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, bridal showers, and other occasions. They customize pop-up events for groups ranging from 10 to 400+ attendees.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Cafe Cà Phê branded merchandise through their Shopify e-commerce store.
4. Speaking Engagements: Owner Jackie Nguyen generates revenue through keynote speaking at events, with speaker budgets ranging from donations to $1,000+.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cafe Cà Phê is Kansas City's first Vietnamese coffee shop, operating two physical cafe locations (flagship in Columbus Park and Babygirl satellite in West Bottoms) serving Vietnamese-style specialty coffee, espresso beverages, Tian teas, non-coffee drinks, congee, and pastries from local AAPI and women-owned suppliers. The company also offers mobile pop-up coffee catering for events of 10 to 400+ attendees, branded merchandise through a Shopify store, and keynote speaking engagements by founder Jackie Nguyen.

Product overview

Cafe Cà Phê operates as Kansas City's first Vietnamese coffee shop, established in 1987, offering Vietnamese-style specialty coffee drinks alongside classic beverages, Tian teas, and non-coffee options. The business operates two physical locations (Brick & Mortar flagship in Columbus Park and Babygirl satellite in West Bottoms), plus a pop-up catering service, speaker engagements by owner Jackie Nguyen, and a merch store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Babygirl: Satellite location seated inside 12th Street Post makers village in the historic West Bottoms, Kansas City. Features the Rancilio Silvia Pro X espresso machine.

Products and services

• Brick & Mortar Flagship Cafe (Columbus Park) Flagship physical cafe at 916 E 5th St, Kansas City, MO serving the full menu of Vietnamese specialty coffee, classic espresso drinks, Tian teas, non-coffee beverages, congee, and pastries from local AAPI and women-owned suppliers; open weekdays 8am-6pm and weekends 8am-5pm with free WiFi and indoor/outdoor seating.
• Babygirl Satellite Cafe (West Bottoms) Satellite coffee location inside 12th Street Post makers village at 1501 W 12th Street, Kansas City, MO, open 10am-2pm on weekends and First Fridays; equipped with a permanent Rancilio Silvia Pro X espresso machine and serves as Cafe Cà Phê's second storefront in the West Bottoms.
• Vietnamese Specialty Coffee Drinks Vietnamese-style specialty beverages including Saigon (traditional phin drip iced coffee), Dirty Thai-ger, Dragon, Electric, Hella Good, Mango Sticky Rice Latte, Paris by Night, and The Mind featuring Vietnamese espresso; aimed at consumers seeking authentic Vietnamese coffee.
• Specialty Espresso & Coffee Drinks Classic and seasonal espresso-based drinks including Americano ($3.50), Black Coffee ($3), Cappuccino ($4.50), Latte ($4), Cortado ($3.50), Macchiato, Vietnamese Cold Brew ($6), and seasonal items such as Taiyaki, Fireplace Matcha, and Spice Kabocha; broad consumer appeal.
• Tian Tea Selection Curated tea menu including Ceylon, Chrysanthemum, Earth's Medicine, Green Ginseng, Green Osmanthus, and Oolong Peach, priced at $5; serves tea-focused customers.
• Non-Coffee Specialty Drinks Non-coffee beverages including Golden Excellence (salted Vietnamese lemonade with lychee), Madoka (lavender matcha), Mailman (pumpkin chai), Purple Dragon, Thaiger (Thai Iced Tea), Vietnamese Hot Chocolate, and Not Coffee ($5); for non-coffee drinkers and younger customers.
• Congee (Vietnamese Rice Porridge) Traditional Vietnamese rice porridge made with napa cabbage, rice, and vegan stock, customizable with a choice of toppings; serves as the cafe's signature food item alongside pastries from local partners.
• Pop-Up Coffee Catering Mobile coffee catering service for weddings, corporate meetings, school assemblies, birthdays, bridal showers, and other events, accommodating groups from 10 to 400+ attendees; quote-based pricing depending on event duration, attendee count, baristas needed, and travel distance; serves event organizers across Kansas City and the broader Midwest.
• Keynote Speaking Services Keynote speaking, emceeing, and podcast guest appearances by owner Jackie Nguyen drawing on her background as a former Broadway performer and first-generation Vietnamese-American entrepreneur; fee tiers range from donation of time and trades to $20-$250, $500-$1,000, and $1,000+, with audience sizes from 10 to over 20,000 and 50+ engagements completed.
• Cafe Cà Phê Merch Store Online merchandise store featuring Cafe Cà Phê branded apparel and accessories (including shirts), operated via Shopify at cafecaphe.myshopify.com; serves brand fans and community supporters nationally.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ToranicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership began during AAPICONIC 2023. Torani offers authentic AAPI-inspired flavors and supports the company through their Cafe Opportunity Fund, providing opportunities for staff and community.
• Nguyen Coffee SupplycoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides authentic Vietnamese-grown robusta beans harvested from farms in Vietnam and roasted in Brooklyn, NY. The company is run by a first-generation Vietnamese American.
• ChobanicoreTechnology or IntegrationOat milk partner since Summer 2023. Chobani is an immigrant-owned food and beverage company. They collaborated on the Very Vegan Oat Nog limited-edition product.
• RanciliocoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partner since AAPICONIC 2023. The Rancilio Silvia Pro X is a permanent staple at the Babygirl location in West Bottoms, serving espresso since 2023.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Quay Coffee: Independent Kansas City specialty coffee shop with multiple locations. Competes for the same local specialty coffee customer base as Cafe Cà Phê's Columbus Park flagship.
• The Roasterie: Kansas City-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator. Directly comparable as a KC specialty coffee brand serving similar customers, though with broader coffee positioning rather than Vietnamese specialty focus.
• Ruby Jean's Kitchen & Juicery: Kansas City-based minority-owned café and juice concept. Comparable as a Kansas City community-rooted, minority-owned café serving specialty beverages with cultural-identity positioning.
• Oddly Correct: Kansas City specialty coffee shop and roaster focused on craft, single-origin coffee. Directly comparable customer base and craft positioning to Cafe Cà Phê within the same Kansas City market.

Broad incumbents

• Trung Nguyen Coffee: Vietnamese coffee brand with international retail expansion ambitions, offering Vietnamese-style espresso and robusta-based beverages. Closest scaled analog to Cafe Cà Phê's menu positioning.
• Phuc Long: Large Vietnamese tea and coffee chain with hundreds of locations across Vietnam and expanding internationally. Represents the scaled, multi-unit version of Cafe Cà Phê's Vietnamese coffee concept and a potential competitive threat if it enters the U.S. Midwest.
• Highlands Coffee: Vietnam's largest domestic coffee chain with thousands of locations, serving Vietnamese-style coffee drinks. Comparable menu positioning to Cafe Cà Phê and a representative of what scaled Vietnamese coffee retail looks like.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Premium specialty coffee chain with locations across the U.S. and Asia. Represents the scaled, well-capitalized specialty coffee operator that defines the competitive ceiling for independent shops like Cafe Cà Phê.
• Stumptown Coffee: Established U.S. specialty coffee roaster and café chain known for third-wave positioning. Comparable as a craft-specialty coffee brand competing for premium, culturally-engaged coffee consumers.

Direct peers

• Nguyen Coffee Supply: First-generation Vietnamese-American-founded specialty coffee company supplying Vietnamese-grown robusta beans. While primarily a roaster/brand, it competes directly with Cafe Cà Phê in the Vietnamese specialty coffee category and is also a current supply partner, making the relationship both competitive and collaborative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cafecaphekc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cafecaphe
• TikToktiktok.com/@cafecaphe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cafe-ca-phe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cafe Cà Phê