Speakeasy Coffee Co. comes to downtown Cape

A new ‘vintage and cozy’ 1920s-themed coffee shop called Speakeasy Coffee Co., will be opening up at 811 Broadway St. in downtown Cape Girardeau at the end of April.

Suzanne Hightower, a pharmacist at Jackson Walmart and the owner of Speakeasy Coffee Co., will serve sandwiches and salads, alongside bakery goods like cookies, cinnamon rolls, cakes and more. They will also serve coffees, teas and Italian sodas, and plans for milkshakes are in the works for the future.

“I have a recipe for a kringla, which is a Scandinavian sweet pretzel, and it's really yummy when you can dip it in the coffee,” she said. “I will have three different coffee dippers — kringla, churros and biscotti — to choose from.”

Speakeasy Coffee Co. takes its name from the history of the building it is located in, which supposedly was a speakeasy during Prohibition. To fit with that history, Hightower is adding a mix of modern and the 1920s to the business.

There will be a photo opportunity area with barrel tables and some other decorations that come with a 1920s feel. The employees will be in comfortable vintage dresses inspired by the theme.

The hours of operation of Speakeasy Coffee Co. will be from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday hours will be from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday hours will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In the event center beyond the Speakeasy Coffee Co. where there will be poetry readings, bands that come in, piano bar night to just name a few. Renting out this room for an event is also an option.

Hightower had the idea of Speakeasy Coffee Co. in September 2019. Construction for the building started in December 2020, but because of COVID, the bad weather, and city code, it has prolonged the opening of this business. She is confident in how this “cozy and vintage” coffee shop will turn out.

Photo by Kyrie Padberg

Next door to the coffee shop, the Broadway Theatre building was destroyed by fire in March. Hightower raised $5,039 through a GoFundMe to save the theater, with a goal of $250,000 that ended March 25.

Future manager and current SEMO student Kassi Bright said she is excited to start her new job at the coffee shop.

“I want this coffee shop to be a place where SEMO students can hangout and enjoy the vintage atmosphere. It's within walking distance of campus, so I think it would be the perfect place to take a walk downtown and have a cup of sweet brew,” Bright said.

Speakeasy Coffee Co. will be open soon to have a late night study session, a poetry slam or to try a Kringla dipped in a hot latte.

“Our goal is to have great food, great drinks, great customer service, and an atmosphere everyone will enjoy,” she said.

Highwater said her goal is to be a destination spot, maybe even one of the Top 10 coffee shops to visit in the United States.

Check out Speakeasy Coffee Co.’s full menu and website at speakeasycoffeeco.com/. Stay connected with their social media to get updates about the official opening date on Instagram @Speasy_coffee_co and on Facebook at @cgspeakeasycoffeeco.