JRI Hospitality Group subsidiary Mokas Coffee & Eatery has agreed a nine-unit franchise development agreement with Cornerstone Hospitality, an operator led by Brice Turner and Jeff Bennett.

Under the deal, Cornerstone Hospitality will open six units across Clay and Jackson counties within the Missouri side of the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

The remaining three units are allocated to non-metropolitan Kansas markets, specifically Derby, Garden City, and Manhattan.

Site selection is underway, with all nine locations expected to open by next year.

Bennett said: “Mokas is a unique blend of quality drinks and food that you don't see elsewhere in the marketplace, and post-Covid, people are looking for gathering spaces again.

“Our partnership group is excited to be on the front end of an exciting new franchise concept that will serve our communities with great food and drinks, and we're looking forward to growing together.”

Mokas was founded two decades ago in Salina, Kansas.

The brand serves speciality coffees, cold brews, energy drinks, frappes, and smoothies. It also offers breakfast, lunch, and catering items such as baked goods, breakfast burritos, soups, salads, and sandwiches.

The coffee and food concept currently maintains five company-operated premises in Kansas, comprising three stores in Wichita and single sites in Colby and Salina.

An additional 15 outlets are under active development across Kansas City, Wichita, and broader Kansas regions.

JRI Hospitality CEO and Mokas Coffee & Eatery president Jason Ingermanson said: “Brice and Jeff's backgrounds and combined entrepreneurial experiences make them exactly the kind of franchise partner we look for.

“They understand what it takes to build something meaningful in a community, and that's exactly the spirit Mokas was built on.

“We're thrilled to support Cornerstone Hospitality as they bring Mokas to new guests throughout the Kansas City metro."