Wichita coffee shop one of 10 best in U.S., magazine says, and it’s not yet a year old
One of the country’s 10 best coffee shops is in Wichita and deserves a spot among high-profile places in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Brooklyn.
So says Food & Wine magazine, which has published an article on its website titled The Best Coffee Shops In America: 2019 and included in the ranking Leslie Coffee Co., the quaint Delano coffee shop that opened less than a year ago at 930 W. Douglas.
In the article, published late last week, the author says that he has conducted “more than two years of on-the-ground research” to come up with almost 100 of the best cafes, coffee shops and espresso bars in the country. On the website, he focuses on his top 10.
Leslie Coffee Co., owned by Wichita native and onetime New York City resident Sarah Leslie, landed at No. 7.
“...In her 2,000-square-foot shop, inhabiting the bright and beautiful ground floor of an old brick structure in the city’s happening Delano neighborhood, the visitor can immediately sense that someone who knows a thing or two about coffee shops is in charge here,” the author wrote. “Everything just goes, everything flows beautifully.”
The article goes on to praise the staff, which it describes as “woman-powered,” and Leslie’s business model, which “ensures a living wage without asking for tips, providing the proper training to ensure that the rotating selection of coffees results in some of the most exacting espresso drinks for miles around.”
Leslie said she had no idea that her shop would be featured on the list, even though in March it had made an article on the magazine’s site by the same author naming the best coffee in every state. PT’s Coffee in Topeka got the nod, but Leslie Coffee Co. got a small mention.
A friend spotted the newest article online and mentioned it on Instagram. Later, another friend sent her the link.
Leslie Coffee Co. has grown in popularity in Wichita during its short time in business. In addition to its Instagrammable crafted coffee drinks, it’s known for a menu of toast with toppings like avocado, lemon ricotta and banana almond. It’s also earned attention for its one-of-a-kind Wichita wallpaper and its eye-catching space in the historic Independent Order of Odd Fellows Building.
Leslie, the onetime chairwoman of the Barista Guild of America, lived in New York City for 12 years and worked in coffee shops there while she went to New York University.
“Any city in the country would be fortunate to have a place run with this much care,” the Food & Wine article concluded. “Wichita got lucky.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2019 at 5:02 AM.
.jpg)