Tag: kansas city

Olathe opening: Popular chicken chain flies deeper into JoCo; its first franchisee isn’t just winging it

admin — Wed, 14 May 2025 18:12:46 +0000

Joe Finch got his start in the food industry bussing tables. This weekend, he’ll open his own restaurant in Olathe — capitalizing on the popularity of spinout success WingStand by opening the brand’s first franchise location.

Lawmakers cut MTC’s funding to zero: Venture fund will move forward, leader says, but future grantmaking in jeopardy

admin — Wed, 14 May 2025 17:02:18 +0000

Editor’s note: The following commentary was originally released May 14 by Jack Scatizzi, executive director and CEO of Missouri Technology Corporation, as an update on the 2026 funding outlook for MTC, a public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to promote entrepreneurship. The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.

Grab your Zhoug sauce: Lawrence-built eatery launching brand across KC (starting with this famous food spot)

admin — Wed, 14 May 2025 15:09:50 +0000

Shuttered for three years, the former d’Bronx pizzeria space — the now-defunct hometown brand’s original location along 39th Street’s famed “Restaurant Row” — is reopening Wednesday with a fresh look and flavors from the other side of the globe (via a Kansas college town).

Zhoug Mediterranean is expected to debut its fare at 3904 Bell St. after a renovation that saw the Midtown space gutted and remodeled with a sleek modern look featuring murals in muted primary colors on bright white walls by an African artist.

Homegrown startups can redefine KC, leader says; they just need help surviving long enough to do it

admin — Wed, 14 May 2025 14:18:48 +0000

Editor’s note: The following is the third in a four-part series exploring the verticals and impact of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC.

• Leave KC better than you found it: How matching growth to city’s needs is paying off

Meet the Kansas City entrepreneurs picked for DoorDash’s first Midwest accelerator

admin — Tue, 13 May 2025 13:51:45 +0000

DoorDash delivers $50K bag to 10 KC small biz leaders hungry to learn

DoorDash is dropping support on Kansas City’s doorstep through a new cohort of 10 small businesses selected for the company’s local restaurant accelerator, marking the first time the nationwide initiative has landed in the Midwest — with KC chosen as its launchpad.

Not a college student anymore: Entrepreneur’s origami-inspired bags fold functionality into professional fashion

admin — Tue, 13 May 2025 12:35:14 +0000

Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the help they need — when they need it.

First came baby, then the boutique; 18 years later, this owner is the mother of retail survivors

admin — Sat, 10 May 2025 11:48:19 +0000

Opening her storefront at the age of 23 with a newborn daughter, Meagan Doyle faced double duty as a first-time mother and budding entrepreneur. Eighteen years later, her baby is now grown — and Mom is coming into her own as a retail survivor and seasoned business owner.

Advocates want a startup-boosting Missouri angel investor tax credit (but they’ll have to beat legislature’s ticking clock)

admin — Fri, 09 May 2025 21:12:46 +0000

With about a week left in Missouri’s legislative session, business advocates at NEXT Missouri are making a final push for lawmakers to pass a bill creating a state angel investor tax credit — legislation its backers say could catalyze early-stage business growth and keep entrepreneurial talent and essential startup capital rooted in the state.

Nick the Greek reset: Reinvigorated owner reopening locations, launching new spot after facing his own test

admin — Fri, 09 May 2025 17:36:30 +0000

When Nick the Greek abruptly closed two area locations six months ago, fans on and off social media were distraught, fearing they were closed for good.

Now there’s a surprising update: two reopenings, one new opening. All this month.

Kauffman earmarks $32M in grants to boost entrepreneurship, workforce, education efforts

admin — Fri, 09 May 2025 17:00:52 +0000

Just-announced Kauffman Foundation funding for a cohort of 27 organizations — each focused on advancing economic mobility in Kansas City — reflects the grantees’ “relentless commitment to innovation and equity,” said Allison Greenwood Bajracharya.

Brothers behind Session Taco launching ‘destination Mexican spot’ in upscale JoCo dining district

admin — Thu, 08 May 2025 20:40:27 +0000

Just weeks after closing Session Taco in Leawood’s Park Place, the owners expect to revamp the prominent spot for a new destination Mexican restaurant.

Lapez Mod Mex is scheduled to open this summer at 11563 Ash St.

PMI Rate Pro exits: KC fintech calls acquisition the ‘natural next step’ for its mortgage tech solution

admin — Thu, 08 May 2025 20:16:19 +0000

MIAMI — A strategic acquisition between a software leader and a Kansas City fintech startup brings together two innovators in mortgage tech to deliver the industry’s most comprehensive platform, said Nomi Smith, co-founder of PMI Rate Pro.

Merck plans $895M expansion for its De Soto biologics site; leaders tout strength of KC animal health corridor

admin — Thu, 08 May 2025 19:35:47 +0000

DE SOTO, Kan. — A biopharmaceutical giant plans to invest $895 million to expand its biologics facility in Kansas, notching another win as leaders position Kansas City as a hub for digital and animal health innovation.

Meet LaunchKC’s new social venture cohort: Bold builders going beyond buzzwords (and Kansas City)

admin — Thu, 08 May 2025 19:05:40 +0000

A reputation of strength within Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem helped convince Darian Jones — a St. Louis native now based in Austin, Texas — to apply for LaunchKC’s fourth Social Venture Studio cohort, he shared Wednesday during a reveal event for the program.

Wrong tool can wreck a neighborhood; Precision development key to avoiding gentrification’s negative impacts, EDCKC says

admin — Thu, 08 May 2025 18:07:30 +0000

Editor’s note: The following is the first in a four-part series exploring the verticals and impact of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC.