Shawnee's new coffee shops in 2026 tell you a lot about the city's map. The places built for a quick stop opened on West 63rd Street. The place built for staying awhile opened in a century-old building on Johnson Drive. The October calendar follows the same split. Nearly every evening event worth planning around this month takes place on or near Johnson Drive. The pavilion now in design will give that stretch a permanent place to gather.
Two Drive-Thrus on 63rd Street
Locally owned Brew Haha Coffeehouse, owned by Jason Presley, opened its Shawnee location at 13655 W. 63rd St. in February. It serves coffee, tea and gluten-free pastries, and it has a drive-thru.
A few miles east on the same street, 7 Brew opened its first Shawnee drive-thru at 11560 W. 63rd St. The Kansas City Star had reported a Sept. 28 opening date. The reviews on the chain's location page confirm it. The earliest are dated Sept. 28, including one from a customer who came on opening day, and they run through Oct. 3.
Another drive-thru is in the pipeline farther west. In March, Dutch Bros filed plans for a location at Grey Oaks, near 56th and Silverheel streets just east of K-7. The March report gave no opening date.
So one of this year's 63rd Street openings is a local business and the other is a national chain. Ownership didn't decide where they went. Both are built around the drive-thru lane, and both chose busy arterial frontage.
A Roastery Inside a Former Gas Station on Johnson Drive
The building at 11217 Johnson Drive has had several lives. According to the Johnson County Post, it started as a gas station in the early 1900s and later housed an auto mechanic, then a pediatric home services office.
Since June 8, 2026, it has been home to Current State Coffee Roasters. The co-owners, Nick Robertson, David Weber and Josh Greenlee, all came from the coffee roasting industry. The Post described a quiet soft opening that turned into a busy first week, with customers coming in to watch the roasting while they drank their coffee. Daily Coffee News followed up in July and confirmed the roasting machine sits in view of the counter.
Current State is just off Johnson Drive and King Avenue, near Tiki Taco and The Flying Cow, and it's open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. With that 6 p.m. close, it works as a stop before an evening downtown. That timing matters this month, because so much of October's downtown calendar happens after work.
The Downtown October Calendar
The Scarecrow Festival at City Hall was Oct. 3, so it has already passed. Here is what's still ahead in and around downtown Shawnee:
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 8 | Yappy Hour | Shawnee Town 1929 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 15 | Moonlight Market | City Hall, 11110 Johnson Drive | 4 to 8 p.m. |
| Oct. 22 | The Black Cat, 1934 | Aztec Theater | Doors 6:30 p.m., film 7 p.m. |
| Oct. 24 | Holiday Treasures Craft Festival | Civic Centre, 13817 Johnson Drive | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Oct. 30 | Historical Hauntings | Shawnee Town 1929 | 6 to 8:30 p.m. |
Four of those five events start in the evening. Only the craft festival runs during the day.
At Yappy Hour, Shawnee Town 1929 sets up a fenced off-leash dog area, with live music, drinks, and food from Transport Brewery and Scotty C's. The Moonlight Market fills the City Hall parking lot with fresh fruits and vegetables from the Farmers Market, local crafts and handmade items, live music and free kids' activities.
The Aztec's Oct. 22 film is The Black Cat, released in 1934, and tickets start at $8. The Holiday Treasures Craft Festival brings more than 60 local makers to the Civic Centre, which sits farther west on Johnson Drive at 13817.
Historical Hauntings at Shawnee Town 1929 closes out the month with trick-or-treating, tractor hayrides, house tours, photo opportunities and a costume contest. The City calendar lists the hours as 6 to 8:30 p.m. The Downtown Shawnee event page shows a 6 a.m. start, which looks like a typo. Go by the City's evening hours, and check with the organizer if you want to be sure.
The Rest of October, Just Outside Downtown
Shawnee Mission Park and neighboring Fairway fill in the daytime slots:
- Public hayrides at Oak Ridge Parklands in Shawnee Mission Park run Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 31, according to the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. Groups can book their own fall hayrides through Nov. 22 with an advance reservation.
- "Busy Beasts of Fall," a preschool storytime at the Mill Creek Activity Center, is Oct. 7.
- The Shawnee Indian Mission Foundation's 40th annual Fall Festival is Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 3403 W. 53rd St. in Fairway. Expect dancers, crafts, food trucks, historic activities and rides.
Oct. 10 is the one day with two big draws. The Fall Festival runs all day, and a public hayride is scheduled at Oak Ridge Parklands. If you want both, plan your route.
What Downtown Is Still Building
Two projects will make Johnson Drive and Nieman Road even more of a place to stay awhile, and neither has a firm date.
Thai Orchid on Nieman Road. The locally owned restaurant is moving from Mission to 5907 Nieman Road in downtown Shawnee. Owner Jonathan Rojjanasrirat and co-owner Nuttaphat "Aom" Stonnisgul are behind the move. In March, the Johnson County Post reported an October reopening target and new menu items, including crispy pork belly. The Kansas City Star called October tentative. As of early October, the restaurant's online ordering page lists the Shawnee address but isn't taking orders yet. Watch for an announcement rather than counting on a specific weekend.
The new address is Marigold Plaza, a recently built center near 59th and Nieman. Marigold Liquor has already relocated there, and Thai Orchid was announced as the first new restaurant tenant. In March, the Post reported one or two tenant spaces still open.
The Johnson Drive pavilion. The first phase of the downtown streetscape project was expected to wrap up by Memorial Day 2025. At that point, a covered plaza pavilion was planned as the second phase, pending grant funding. Here's where the pavilion stands now:
- Shawnee's proposed 2027–2036 Capital Improvement Program lists Johnson Drive Streetscape Phase II as a project added for 2027.
- The City Council's July 27, 2026 agenda included considering whether to adopt that plan.
- On Aug. 27, 2026, the GBA consultant team presented the pavilion design to the Shawnee Downtown Partnership, and members gave input as the project moved into final design.
None of the city documents set a construction start or completion date. The most recent update shows the pavilion in final design, which means a covered gathering spot is coming to the stretch that already hosts the Moonlight Market and the city's other evening events.
How the Pattern Holds Up
The sorting isn't perfect. Brew Haha is local and has a drive-thru on 63rd Street. Downtown events also depend on Shawnee Town 1929, City Hall and the Aztec, which have been part of Johnson Drive far longer than this year's openings.
Still, the pattern holds across 2026. The fast-format openings this year are at 13655 and 11560 W. 63rd St., with a third planned near K-7. The roastery, the relocating Thai restaurant and the pavilion design are all clustered around Johnson Drive and Nieman Road.
Want to know how changes like the pavilion and the new Marigold Plaza tenants are shaping downtown Shawnee? The Client Care Team at The Huff Group keeps track of these projects, and we're happy to share what we know. Book an appointment and we'll walk you through what's taking shape near you.
