The Coop is expanding to Wichita, will operate as board game cafe, co-op and coffee house
When the owners of Common Grounds — the coffee shop that’s long operated out the 1909 house at 2812 E. Douglas — announced last week that they were closing, interest in the space was high, to say the least
“Everyone and their mother” — or at least everyone interested in opening a coffee shop — was looking to make offers on the space, said Brant Dumford, owner of The Coop in Derby
But his bid rose above.
On Tuesday evening, Dumford and his operational manager Whitney Feltrop announced via social media that they had secured the three-story house that Common Grounds has occupied since 2012.
On Wednesday, Dumford confirmed that he has the house under contract and plans to open inside of it a second location of The Coop, a unique coffee house and co-op bakery that has operated at 104 N. Baltimore in Derby since early 2020. He plans to have the new shop ready to open by mid-August.
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The Wichita version of The Coop will also operate as a co-op bakery and coffee shop. Dumford will be installing refrigerated cases and shelving in the house, and people with home bakeries and food and craft businesses can rent small chunks of retail space and sell their products.
One difference: In the big new space, The Coop also will add another focus: board games. In fact, the official name of the new business is The Coop Coffee Co: Cooperative Bakery and Board Game Cafe.
Feltrop said that she’ll offer a board game library where customers can borrow games then hang out to play them.
“Since this location has more space to hang out and most of the board game cafes in Wichita didn’t survive the pandemic, I want to bring that back,” she said. “My sister got me into playing the more elaborate board games recently and was a big part in persuading me to add the board game cafe concept.”
Room for more vendors
In Derby, The Coop is full of vendors, including Perfect Plate, Chunky Poodle Cookie Company, MH Macarons, Skinny Guinea Farms (selling farm-fresh eggs), Leah’s Bakery and more. Many of The Coop’s current members have committed to renting space in Wichita as well, and the co-op will have room for around 10 new vendors, Dumford said.
The Coop also serves a full line of espresso drinks, and in Wichita, it’ll also offer boba, smoothies, tea and a few food items, including some that are vegan and gluten-free.
Dumford said that Feltrop has long been pushing him to open a second and even third location of The Coop, and he’s on board, he said. The Coop in Derby is at its maximum capacity, and he plans to continue to look for a possible third location either on Wichita’s west side or in Goddard.
“The opportunity is there for us to be able to help a lot more people grow their businesses and to allow members we currently have to grow their businesses as well,” he said.
Dumford said he was drawn to the house on Douglas for many reasons, chief among them that he’ll be able to seat more people. The Coop in Derby can seat only 10.
“It’s going to be a lot better for having groups of people, and we’re looking forward to that,” he said.
Common Grounds’ last day operating out of the space will be Friday.
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 10:37 AM.
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