FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2026
WICHITA, Kan. — Reverie Coffee Roasters has been named the #4 Best Independent Coffee Shop in America in the 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards, climbing six positions from its #10 finish in 2025.
The recognition places the Wichita-based coffee company among the nation's most celebrated independent coffee shops, marking its second consecutive appearance in the national Top 10.
The USA TODAY 10BEST competition begins with 20 independent coffee shops selected by a panel of industry experts and USA TODAY 10BEST editors. The public then votes for its favorites, with the 10 highest-ranking businesses earning national recognition. This year's voting concluded October 19, with the official results announced October 28.
For Reverie, which was founded in Wichita in 2013, the recognition represents more than a national ranking. It's a reflection of the customers, employees, and community that have supported the company's growth over the past 13 years.
"Last year was our first time being nominated, and we barely squeaked into the Top 10," said Andrew Gough, owner of Reverie Coffee Roasters. "We were genuinely thrilled just to be included among so many remarkable independent coffee shops from around the country. To come back a year later and land at number four is pretty incredible. We don't take that kind of support for granted."
A National Award Powered by Local Support
Unlike many business recognition programs, USA TODAY 10BEST nominations are selected independently by experts and editors. Businesses cannot apply for consideration, and the final rankings are determined through public voting.
Reverie also maintains a longstanding practice of not purchasing advertising to influence the outcome of "best of" competitions, instead relying on organic support from customers, employees, and fans.
"These contests can certainly feel like a form of advertising, but we see them a little differently," Gough said. "To us, they're really a reflection of our customers and fans. When Reverie places well in a competition like this, it's an opportunity to recognize the people who continue to put our business in the local, regional, and now national spotlight. They're the ones making this happen."
The USA TODAY competition specifically celebrates independent coffee shops for qualities that extend beyond the coffee itself, including welcoming atmospheres, friendly baristas, distinctive menus, and the sense of community that locally owned cafés create.
Those qualities provide an ideal opportunity for Reverie's to practice its guiding principles: To embrace humility. To resist complacency. And to honor people.
Putting Wichita on the National Coffee Map
While Reverie's roots remain firmly planted in Wichita, national recognition has created opportunities to connect with coffee drinkers well beyond Kansas.
Following its 2025 Top 10 finish, Reverie experienced an influx of new e-commerce customers, introducing its freshly roasted specialty coffees to consumers across the country.
"One of the really exciting things about this recognition is the opportunity to reach people who might never have heard of Reverie or even considered visiting Wichita," Gough said. "Maybe they're traveling through Middle America, planning a trip to Kansas, or they're former Wichitans looking for a little connection to home. Last year's recognition brought us a ton of new online customers, and we saw firsthand how a national audience can experience a local business."
Gough added that the recognition also creates an opportunity to highlight Wichita's growing community of independent businesses, makers, and entrepreneurs.
"We're proud to be a Wichita business. There are so many incredible people doing interesting things in this city, and anytime one of us gets a little national attention, I think that's good for all of us. We're grateful to be part of that story."
Thirteen Years of Better Coffee and Community
Founded in June 2013, Reverie Coffee Roasters has grown from a local specialty coffee roaster and café into a multifaceted coffee company serving retail, wholesale, and online customers nationwide.
Its Wichita operations include a specialty coffee roasting program, café and espresso bar, Founders Bakery, and The Lyceum, a gathering space supporting community events and organizations.
Throughout its growth, Reverie has maintained a focus on quality, hospitality, local partnerships, and creating opportunities for meaningful community connections.
"At the end of the day, we're still doing what we set out to do when we opened our doors: make better coffee, take care of people, and hopefully leave our community a little better than we found it," Gough said. "This recognition is a wonderful reminder that those things matter."
Reverie extends its appreciation to everyone who voted, shared the competition, visited the café, purchased its coffee, or supported the company throughout the years.
The complete 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Best Independent Coffee Shop rankings can be viewed at:
https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-independent-coffee-shop/
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About Reverie Coffee Roasters
Founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2013, Reverie Coffee Roasters is an independently owned specialty coffee company dedicated to better coffee and stronger communities. Through its café, coffee roasting operations, Founders Bakery, wholesale coffee partnerships, and nationwide e-commerce business, Reverie works to fulfill its mission to "Precipitate Positivity" through genuine hospitality and community engagement while serving the best coffee and pastries in Middle America.
Media Contact
Andrew Gough
Owner, Reverie Coffee Roasters
Wichita, Kansas
Email: Info@dfip.shop
Interviews, photographs, and additional information available upon request.
