Whether one is looking for a place to sit down and eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, wanting to grab something healthy on-the-go or hoping to sit down somewhere comfortable with a cup of coffee, Caffetteria Modern Cafe + Marketplace located at 25 on the Mall at the Shops of Prairie Village, is the place to go.

Caffetteria, which opened March 12, is the newest restaurant venture of creator Jo Marie Scaglia, who also started The Mixx in 2005.  Scaglia claims to obtain her restaurant inspiration from her Italian family and is inspired by European cafes and the use of healthy ingredients, according to the Caffetteria website.

Caffetteria executes Scaglia’s inspiration perfectly with its lengthy menu of healthy options, clearly market vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free, if applicable and by using fresh ingredients evident in the restaurant’s flavorful food.

Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, Caffetteria offers a full breakfast menu and a combined lunch and dinner menu.  All items are ordered at the front counter and delivered to the customer at his or her table.

The breakfast menu, which is served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., boasts many varieties of toast such as the more classic avocado toast, ranging to a ricotta toast with lemon-lavender honey syrup.  Aside from the toasts, the menu also includes various egg scrambles, potato hashes, oats and more. The common theme within the breakfast menu is the commitment to fresh ingredients. All menu items include fresh fruits and vegetables or house-made components such as granola or jams. The items range in price from $5 to $11.

The lunch and dinner menu is divided into five categories: caffe salads, bowls, oven-fired pizzas, sandwiches and artisanal plates.  The variety of palates that the extensive menu caters to is impressive and similar to the breakfast menu, the meals on the lunch and dinner meal are full of fresh and house-made ingredients.

The Nomad Bowl, made with rice, vegetables, cashews and a red chili hoisin sauce, one of the vegan items on the Caffetteria menu, is a flavorful and filling yet light dish.  The Yum Woon Sen Salad is also a delicious vegan option. For the more traditional consumers, the pizza, oven-fired within the restaurant is deliciously flavorful and obviously fresh.  The crust is slightly doughy, yet crisp on the bottom. All entrees on the lunch and dinner menu currently range in price from $9 to $14.

Caffetteria didn’t forget about the sweet tooth.  Not only does Caffetteria have menus full of delicious savory foods, it also boasts a full cafe serving The Roasterie Coffee and a dessert bar with options ranging from donuts to fritters to homemade granola bars.

Caffetteria even employs a fresh take on the average soda fountain with its Stubborn brand soda dispenser with craft flavors such as pineapple cream soda, lemon berry acai and classic root beer.  

There are also refrigerators with various bottled teas, juices and more at the front of the restaurant as part of the Caffetteria Marketplace.  Not only does the Marketplace include these drinks, but it also offers grab-and-go versions of meals on the menu as well as non-food items such as cookbooks and gifts.  Outside of the grab-and-go options, all menu items are also available for carry-out.

The ambiance of Caffetteria welcomes patrons of all ages and offers a funky yet friendly dining experience with an upbeat vibe.  The decor is modern and colorful, including unique overhead lights, a pink and green color scheme, marble tabletops, fresh flowers on the tables and lots of windows letting in natural light.  The restaurant is spacious and offers seatings for parties of various sizes and occasions with a variety of tables, tabletops, comfortable couches and even a partitioned off room with a large table for private parties.  The loud and upbeat music adds to the relaxed environment. The staff is friendly and helpful, and owner Scaglia is a familiar face to the patrons.

Long awaited, a fresh face in the Kansas City metro healthy food scene has arrived.  There is no doubt that Caffetteria will become a popular destination for families, couples, teenagers and beyond.