Meet The Lanai Guys: St. Louis' Newest Coffee Shop Owners

ST. LOUIS, MO — Jake Schlanker loves coffee. Rich Carter loves business. And coffee. Both 32 years old, the pair were best friends and neighbors for a decade before deciding to move to St. Louis and buy Lanai Coffee in Francis Park. Now they work side-by-side seven days a week — at least, until they decide to hire their first employee.

Tucked into one corner of the 60-acre city park, near the intersection of Eichelberger Street and Donovan Avenue in St. Louis Hills, Lanai is nestled between a stand of hundred-year old oak trees and a public tennis court. The coffee shop's patio is the perfect place to spend a summer evening, fall morning or anything in between. The little stone cottage looks like it could have been plucked from a fairy tale. No, you won't find any poison apples on the menu, but you will find smoothies, turtle lattes and even frozen treats for the dog.

Carter, who has a degree in accounting from Missouri Baptist University and a master's in business administration from Webster University, said he always knew he wanted to work for himself, and when he saw that Lanai — which originally opened in 2015 — was up for sale, something just clicked.

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"Something stuck out," he said. "I can't really explain it."

But he was wary about taking on a business alone, so he turned to his best friend with the opportunity of a lifetime.

"I called [Jake] up and asked him if he wanted to consider going into business with me," Carter said. "And he agreed."

The two had talked about buying a business before, but nothing seemed right until they saw Lanai.

Schlanker, who is finishing a master's in finance at Webster University, worked as a police officer for five years before going into the landscaping business. Like Carter, he said he always wanted to find a way off the 9-to-5 hamster wheel.

"We were so tired of being on somebody else's time, somebody else's dime," he said, sitting beside Carter outside Lanai during an afternoon lull. "We were always working toward somebody else's dreams. And we knew that we had what it took to do it ourselves."

Schlanker said he and Carter make for good partners, which is partly why he had the self-assurance to jump into a new business with him in a new city.

"I have a lot of confidence in Rich," he said. "He has a lot of strengths that I don't, especially with his education, but not only that, with his mentality, his workmanship. I spoke with my wife, Heidi, and I asked how she felt about me going into business with Rich. And she said, 'If you're going to go into business with somebody, I wouldn't want it to be anybody else.'"

"Our friendship as it grew was very organic," Schlanker continued. "We have a different relationship than I've ever had with any other friend. So, when he asked me to come and join him in this, it was really a no-brainer."

When Carter and Schlanker took over Lanai, they changed up the menu, commissioned new logos and started staying open longer hours. But they kept the name because they wanted to maintain the relationship the previous owners had already built with their customers. That, and they just liked it.

Carter said they may eventually think about expanding to other locations, but the goal for them at this point is to build a reputation for quality and customer experience in Francis Park. They want Lanai to be a place to hang out, chat with friends, enjoy the sunset. They're even thinking about adding wines and local micro brews to the menu.

"We don't want any customer to come here just for a cup of coffee," he explained. "We want to talk to our customers, learn about them and get to know them on a one-on-one basis."

"Face-to-face interaction is something that's slowly going away," Schlanker agreed. "I love engaging with every person that comes up to the window. That's something I hope to keep alive with this business."

The guys want their customers to get to know them as well. Outside of work, Carter plays guitar and is an amateur photographer. Schlanker loves cooking, spending time with the wife and kids, and fishing whenever he can get a moment to himself. Both love skiing and playing Xbox — they may be business owners, but they're still guys in their 30s, after all.

Their favorite items on the menu? For Carter, it's the turtle latte. For Schlanker, a good cup of black coffee.

But, what about customers who don't have time to stop for a chat? Well, Lanai just started curbside pickup for anyone in need to a caffeine fix before rushing off to work. Just place your order about 15 minutes before you'll be stopping by, and the guys will bring it to you on Eichelbeger (just beside the tennis courts).

So far, it seems to be a hit with the neighborhood.

For more information, visit lanaicoffeestl.com. Or find the guys on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Photos by J. Ryne Danielson/Patch