KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) announced today that The Roasterie Café will open a
signature café inside its downtown Kansas City headquarters later this summer.
The approximately 1,500 square-foot space will mirror the inviting experience of the premier coffee roaster’s nine popular cafés
located throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and drive-thru off Southwest Blvd. In addition to air-roasted coffee and
specialty drinks, including teas, cold brew and nitro cold brew, the café will offer pastries and other grab-and-go snacks. The
café’s interior will accommodate 22 and outdoor patio provides seating for 12. The Roasterie Café at H&R Block will be operated
by American Dining Creations, which also took over management of the Chopping Block Restaurant in April. The Chopping Block is also
located in the H&R Block headquarters building and serves breakfast and lunch during the week.
A boutique, family-owned hospitality company, American Dining Creations’ culinary philosophy places a strong emphasis on serving
exceptional cuisine, prepared from scratch and sourced locally. In addition to managing The Chopping Block, American Dining
Creations partners with Garmin and the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The Chopping Block features new menus with calorie counts and
nutritional information, catering services and a mobile app to pre-order meals for pickup or take-home.
"When we first moved downtown more than 10 years ago, we were virtually the only ones here. Now we're surrounded and Power &
Light has become a destination—both during the work week and in evenings and on the weekend. It's thrilling to have the Roasterie
add its services here for both our associates and others in the neighborhood," said Joel Barnes, director of H&R Block
facilities. "They're joining, and improving, an already stacked lineup."
On June 6, American Dining Creations and The Roasterie and will host a "Block Party" with free food and coffee samples in the
H&R Block lobby.
Offering a unique coffee and client experience
Two Kansas City companies designed and are building The Roasterie Café at H&R Block.
“The Roasterie Café at H&R Block’s downtown headquarters is a prime location for not only H&R Block associates and
clients, but also for people working in the area,” said The Roasterie Founder Danny O’Neill. “Hufft Projects is creating
another beautiful, sleek, modern interior for us—the fifth for a Roasterie café—and JE Dunn Construction is bringing the design to
reality. To open this café venture with H&R Block during our 25th anniversary year is particularly meaningful.”
Hufft Projects is also creating The Roasterie’s signature casework featured in other cafés around the city.
Collaboration among entrepreneurs yields innovative partnership
The Roasterie Café at H&R Block headquarters represents the second collaboration between the two Kansas City-born
companies in just the last six months. The Roasterie Café and Drive-Thru at H&R Block at 4231 Main St. in Kansas City opened in
December 2017, the fruit of a decades-long mentorship of O'Neill by Henry W. Bloch, co-founder and honorary chairman of H&R
Block.
More than six decades ago, Bloch and his brother, Richard Bloch, began preparing taxes for clients with a clear principle in
mind: providing exemplary service for a fair cost. And in 1993, O’Neill started air-roasting coffee beans sourced from around the
world with the goal of making exceptional coffee available to Kansas City coffee lovers. Bloch has served as a longtime mentor of
O’Neill’s, offering practical advice and wisdom as the younger entrepreneur grew his business into Kansas City’s premier coffee
purveyor.
Additional plans for a grand opening will be announced later this summer.
About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) is a global consumer tax services provider. Tax return preparation services are provided by professional tax preparers in approximately
12,000 company-owned and franchise retail tax offices worldwide, and through H&R Block tax software products for the DIY consumer. H&R Block also offers adjacent Tax Plus
products and services. In fiscal 2017, H&R Block had annual revenues of over $3 billion with 23 million tax returns prepared
worldwide. For more information, visit the H&R Block Newsroom.
About The Roasterie Air-Roasted Coffee
The Roasterie Air-Roasted Coffee has served only the best coffee for the past 20-plus years sourced from countries with the world’s
richest resources for harvesting exceptional beans. Founder Danny O’Neill air-roasted his first batch of beans from the basement of
his Kansas City, Missouri, home in the Brookside neighborhood in November 1993—and The Roasterie was born. O’Neill opened The
Roasterie’s first official production facility in July 1994 at 1519 Cherry Street in Kansas City, Missouri. In December 1995, The
Roasterie relocated to 2601 Madison Street in Kansas City to accommodate a growing demand for its coffee. Today The Roasterie’s
production takes place at 1204 West 27th Street in Kansas City. On September 11, 2012, the production facility was crowned
with a historic DC-3 aircraft, a symbol of exploration, Kansas City’s strong aviation history, the American spirit and the
adventure of The Roasterie. A month later, in October 2012, the production facility unveiled the company’s third Roasterie café. In
addition to its plant café, The Roasterie operates cafés in Kansas City, Missouri at 6223 Brookside Boulevard (Brookside); 4223
Main St. (The Roasterie Café & Drive-Thru at H&R Block); 1828 Walnut, Suite 201 in the Kansas City Crossroads Arts District
(Corrigan Station) and The Roasterie Drive-Thru at 2663 Southwest Boulevard. Kansas cafés include 4511 119th Street (Leawood, Town
Center Crossing) and 2250 W. 47th Pl. in Westwood (Woodside Village). It also operates a café inside Children’s Mercy
Kansas City at 2401 Gillham Rd. in Kansas City, Missouri and Lenexa Public Market inside Lenexa City Center at 8750 Penrose Lane in
Lenexa, Kansas. The Roasterie is proud to foster lasting business relationships, resulting in more than 600 businesses, grocery
stores, restaurants, colleges and universities choosing The Roasterie for its coffee, iced and hot teas, and distribution services
for more than 20 years. For more information about The Roasterie, its production facility tours, or to purchase The Roasterie
coffee and products online, visit theroasterie.com.
For further information
contact:
Susan Waldron, H&R Block Media Relations, (816) 854-5522, susan.waldron@hrblock.com
Kimberly Stern, The Roasterie Media Relations, KSquared Communications &
Public Relations, (913) 449-4294, kimberlyksquared@sternwrites.com
