West Wichita cafe has new owners, and they plan to continue the founder’s mission

When Perry Warden decided he had to close and sell his Carpe Diem Cafe at 8643 W. Central, he was hopeful — but not insistent — that a new buyer would carry on his mission.

Warden, a former special education teacher, had opened the cafe in April of 2023 so that he could provide jobs for people with special needs. And he did just that until health issues forced him to close the business in the fall.

But he was offering a deal on the cafe, which he said he never got into for money-making purposes, and in a story I published earlier this month on Dining with Denise, Warden outlined his plan to offload the cafe at a low price to someone looking to get into the coffee shop business.

Ashlea Pfannenstiel’s father happened to read that article and shared it with her. Now, she and her husband are the new owners of the business, which they plan to rename Eddie’s Cafe.

Even better for Warden: The couple plans to continue what he started and run the business as a place where people with special needs can find work.

“It fell into our laps at the right time,” said Ashlea, who is opening the cafe with her husband, Andy Pfannenstiel. “...It was just the perfect timing with the right people.”

The Pfannenstiels are parents to four children, and their youngest, 4-year-old Eddie, has a rare condition called Creatine Transporter Deficiency, which affects brain development and causes intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, seizures and more.

The couple both grew up in Wichita, but because of Andy’s 16-year career with the Marines, they spent 16 years living all over the country. Two years ago, they were living in Florida when they visited a coffee shop just like Warden’s, where people with special needs had jobs.

They were moved by the business, Ashlea said, knowing that someday, Eddie may benefit from such an opportunity. They decided that they’d like to open a business just like it, but they envisioned that someday in the distant future.

Then they saw the article about Carpe Diem Cafe, which Warden was offering for $25,000. The espresso machine alone, he said, was worth nearly that.

“We were like, ‘What’s the catch?’” Ashlea said. “Then we talked to him, and he said, ‘There is no catch.’ We were thinking of doing this 10 to 20 years from now. But it’s not cheap to start a business, especially now.”

The Pfannenstiels decided they couldn’t pass up the opportunity, she said, and Warden said he was thrilled — especially when he learned that the couple planned to continue his mission.

“That’s the whole reason we started it,” he said.

Eddie’s Cafe should open during the first week of May, said Ashlea, who also works as a teacher in Newton.

She and Andy, who recently retired from the Marines, plan to run it much like Warden did: They’ll focus on coffee but will also serve a few breakfast items and easy-to-prepare sandwiches at lunch. They plan to open the cafe from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at least at the beginning.

At least half of their staff will be people with special needs, and they’re hoping to partner with an area school district that has students looking for opportunities.

Ashlea said that she and her husband are excited that they get to make their dream real, even if it came about sooner than they expected. In addition to offering jobs to people with special needs, she said, her goal is to make the cafe a place where families with special needs kids can find comfort and fellowship.

“When you go somewhere, people sometimes look at you funny because your kid is different,” she said. “We want special needs families to feel like they have somewhere they belong.”

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