Mustard yellow paint contrasts an otherwise stark white room.  Vegan leather totes hang from black chairs as conversations compete with indie acoustic music, combining in a pleasantly incessant cheerful buzz.  Floor-to-ceiling windows frame brick sidewalks filled with trendy shoppers and laughing families.  Wafts of hazelnut and creamy mocha float through the crisp autumn air.  Indeed, Parisi Artisan Coffee at 5245 W 116th Place in Leawood, Kansas, creates an atmosphere of warmth and infectious energy, making it ideal for conversation or contemplation.

From the first sip, even the most basic cup of coffee at Parisi stands out.  There is a strong hazelnut-meets-bold-bitterness quality to all of their coffee, and, although unusual at first,  it almost always grows on customers.  For fall specifically, Parisi’s manager Donny Wallin recommends the Pumpkin Caramel Latte and cinnamon roll, but he insists that everything on Parisi’s menu is worth a taste.

“Everything we do, we try to do our very best,” Wallin said.  “We try to perfect everything we make.”

Even more distinctive, this flavor can only be crafted and found in Kansas City.  Parisi creates its blends locally in its downtown headquarters, according to its website.  They make all of their syrups and sauces by hand using natural ingredients to ensure an individual flavor, and an in-house baker creates its exclusive snacks daily.

While these recipes can be found in cafés throughout the city, only Parisi in Leawood offers an atmosphere as bold as the flavor.

With low countertops and leather seats situated in floods of sunlight, Parisi is the perfect spot for studying or inspiration.  It is just crowded enough for healthy distractions but quiet enough to be able to focus, and the view feels more like a big city than suburbia.

When the weather permits, an entire wall opens onto a patio, making it even more airy and comfortable.  Countertops sit lower, larger cup size gives customers more coffee for the same price and the casual interactions with its friendly staff makes a visit to Parisi more personal and relaxed than visits to popular chains and other area cafés.

Wallin describes Parisi as “creative, artistic and passionate,” and its stimulating, welcoming atmosphere certainly inspires the same creativity in its customers.