Check Out Shelly Graham’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Graham.

Hi Shelly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our story began with our love of coffee, as we have always enjoyed visiting new coffee shops together. Kiersten and Shelly Graham, a mother-daughter duo, own and operate Summer Moon Coffee in Overland Park, KS. Shelly first visited Summer Moon in Frisco, Tx. She thought it was differentiated from other coffee shops and remarkably delicious. When Kiersten was interviewing for a marketing position in Dallas in late 2018, Shelly encouraged her to drive across town and try this coffee. She took one sip and told her Dad, “we need to open this coffee shop in KC.” The rest is obvious. Summer Moon is uniquely roasted over Texas Oak and has a proprietary sweetener, moon milk, created to have people drive across town for its magical flavor. Shortly after the Dallas trip, we met with the founders in Austin, TX, and the decision to launch the brand outside the state of Texas was discussed. We decided to open Summer Moon in January 2021 in Overland Park, where we are long-time residents. We are incredibly grateful to the Overland Park community and the Kansas City metro for it’s welcoming response and support. Stay tuned in and watch our social media as we plan to open our second location in the metro in the Spring of 2023. We are over the moon to share our love of the Summer Moon with Kansas City!

Would it have been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening a business at the height of the pandemic was challenging. One key obstacle was the impact of social distancing and implementing safety measures to protect our employees and customers. We also found that operating a business that is open seven days a week was initially challenging for us.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Kiersten graduated from Kansas State in 2019 with a Business and Marketing degree. Shelly has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Kansas, working in hospital and school settings before Summer Moon. We love being a locally owned business providing KC with the unique quality of our oak-roasted coffee and moon milk. For those who want something besides coffee, we have a variety of hot or iced teas, organic smoothies, and milkshakes. We also offer savory southwest goodness in our breakfast tacos. We have a large variety of baked goods, all sourced from local bakeries; Scratch, Heirloom, and Hana’s Donuts. We also have gluten-free and vegan offerings from Emily Kate’s Bakery and Nice Bites.

What do you think about luck?
We feel very fortunate and blessed to live in a great community and be able to share Summer Moon Coffee with Kansas City.

Contact Info:

• Website: summermooncoffee.com
• Instagram: summermoonkc

Image Credits
Anna Petrow Zach Del Valle