Years ago, six professional footballers on the Kansas City Current had an idea to create their own coffee shop. Today, what started as an idea on a road trip is now Pitchside Coffee, a brick-and-mortar coffee shop near the Current's stadium. We sat down with one of the co-founders, Kristen Hamilton, to hear more about how Pitchside came to be — and where they're going next. 

 

TOGETHXR: Today, we're chatting with Kristen Hamilton, one of the six co-founders of Pitchside Coffee! Kristen, can you walk us through the origin story of Pitchside?

Kristen Hamilton: It stems pretty far back. I think one of the biggest things that people don't know is how big an intersection there is between coffee culture and soccer culture. I've always bonded with teammates over coffee in the past. We go on away trips, and it's like, ‘Well, where's the best coffee shop? Where's the nearest coffee shop?’ That's always been the most fun on an away trip. We always sit down and talk about how cool the vibe is. 

For years, the conversation was always, ‘Gosh, it would be so much fun to open a coffee shop.’ I think all six of us have probably had that conversation at some point with other teammates. It just kind of happened that all six of us were sitting down together during preseason in Florida. We were at a local coffee shop when something just clicked. We were like, let's actually do it. So we committed to it right there.

We were like, ‘Okay, we’re going to go brick-and-mortar right away,’ so we started looking at rent and all these things. Then we realized, ‘This is a lot of money… a little too much.’

Funny enough, the next day, one of the coffee shops we went to in Florida had a little trailer outside. We thought, ‘Wait, that’s something we can do.’ We could make a coffee trailer, which would mean way less overhead and a much smaller upfront investment. It really allowed us to dip our toes in and figure out everything about coffee, since we were all somewhat new to it. We liked drinking it, but we didn’t really know why, you know?

We saw the trailer and thought, ‘That’s feasible.’ From there, we just started hitting the ground running. It all happened pretty quickly. I think the longest part was finding a good trailer and coming up with a name and logo—that was pretty hard for us, too.

We got the trailer up and running and started doing pop-up events all around Kansas City. It went really well. The reaction from fans and the community was massive, and the support was strong. Then, about a year after we opened the coffee truck, we had an opportunity to open a brick-and-mortar location. We just said, ‘Okay, let’s take that leap,’ and we did. So here we are.

TOGETHXR: What's been the most challenging part of this experience so far? What's been the most rewarding part of the experience?

KH: Operating a business while we were professional athletes was the most challenging part. Getting all six of us on a phone call together at the same time has been [challenging]. We all have different schedules. Three of us have retired, and three still play. One of us moved, so we are spread out a little bit more now and in different phases of life. I think navigating those differences in availability has been a little bit challenging. Also, navigating the city regulations and health code is not so easy, getting past all those licenses. 

I would say the most rewarding thing is walking into the space we've created and seeing people using the space exactly how we've always used coffee spaces. There are so many different groups of people meeting up together and having conversations. Seeing the space that we've created for people to come into has been really cool. Also, feeling really proud about the actual coffee that we are creating.

TOGETHXR: Most people like coffee, but they may not realize the process can get really technical and complicated. What was the learning process like? 

KH: We always liked coffee, and we knew whether we liked something when we drank it — but we couldn’t pinpoint exactly why we did or didn’t. That was really our starting point.

We actually got in touch with a local café called Kinship Cafe. We went in, met the owner, and spent a lot of time there. I mean, the number of times we sat in that coffee shop, asking him questions and picking his brain—it was a lot. We did our first cupping there, tasting different coffees side by side, and that’s really where it all started.

We focused on learning from people who were already experts in the space. I think we asked every question you could possibly ask, just trying to soak it all in. We even took some classes and learned everything from farming and growing to washing and drying processes—basically all the factors that affect how coffee tastes. Obviously, we still have a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow. It’s kind of like wine—there are so many variables: altitude, elevation, water, climate—everything plays a role. So it was really cool to taste different coffees, explore different processes, and start understanding the differences in flavor.

Then, from an extraction and serving standpoint, there’s a whole other layer. We had to figure out things like which beans work best for certain extractions and what flavor profile we wanted. So we really took the time to sit down with knowledgeable people, ask questions, and learn as much as we could. But honestly, a lot of it was just diving in headfirst and figuring things out as we went.

From the beginning, we were passionate about making genuinely good coffee. We didn’t want people to think, ‘Oh, these professional athletes are just getting into coffee for the sake of it.’ We really wanted it to be high quality. And I think we’ve gotten great feedback and reviews on that, which we’re really proud of. It’s definitely been a big learning curve. There’s a lot of science behind it, and there’s still so much more to learn. But we’re learning every day, and it’s been a lot of fun.

TOGETHXR: What's your favorite drink from Pitch Side?

KH: I'm always a flat white or cortado girl — just whole milk, classic. I like to be able to taste the coffee. At Pitchside, we have a really cool core menu of flavors, and then we do seasonal drinks quarterly. From our core menu, we do a peanut butter caramel, and that always surprises people. If I want a sweet treat or just something different, that's what I get. It's always unique. People are always like, ‘Peanut butter, really?’ But then they try it, and they’re like, ‘It's really, really good.’

TOGETHXR: What are go-to drinks for your other co-founders?
KH: For Elizabeth [Ball], her go-to is an espresso tonic. That is for sure her favorite. We use a Spanish tonic from Strong Water with a shot of espresso. I'm pretty sure Mallory [Weber] gets a macadamia nut flat white or a small latte with macadamia nut milk, which is one of our milk alternatives. She adds the peanut butter caramel in that, too. For Vanessa [DiBernardo], it’s a flat white. Hailie [Mace] goes for a vanilla latte, and I’d say Desi [Scott] is also a vanilla latte.

We make all of our syrups in-house. That was another thing we really wanted to make sure that we kept the quality of. No shade to Torani, but we wanted it to be a slightly more elevated experience. I feel like you can really tell when you get a vanilla latte and taste the vanilla bean flakes in it. 

TOGETHXR: Does Pitchside have any fun events planned for this summer that people should be looking out for?

KH: We're doing a collaboration with Fit Truk on Saturday, June 27th. They're going to come out to our space and set up a mobile gym in our parking lot. We're going to have vendors in the health and fitness space to represent who we are as professional athletes. There will be everything from a chiropractor to an IV drip [station], and the Fit Truk too. That'll be over one of the weekends. We're also working on some special drinks for the World Cup. So, stay tuned.

 

TOGETHXR: Is there anything that people should be on the lookout for on the menu?

KH: I think one of the biggest things—especially when we first opened the brick-and-mortar—that’s taken a little longer than expected to build out is really leaning into who we are and our backgrounds as professional athletes. We’ve been focused on developing a performance menu that incorporates turmeric for its anti-inflammatory benefits, ginger shots, and protein-based options—like protein cold foams or protein coffees with additives we can add to the coffees.

We’re really excited about it because it brings together the coffee space and the performance side. We’re looking forward to launching that performance menu, hopefully in the coming months.

TOGETHXR: Do you have any hot takes when it comes to coffee?

KH: It's never time for an iced coffee. I'm a hot coffee all day, every day, any time of the year kind of person. So, I would never order an iced coffee.

Editor’s Note: Please note that TOGETHXR does not agree with this hot take. We support the iced coffee gworls and hot coffee drinkers alike.