Tag: kansas city

These 5 Kansas City area restaurants and bars are 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:28:05 +0000

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective.

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Paramedic by day (and night), this Scream Queen fights fire with vegan ice cream

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:30:36 +0000

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert.

Click here to read the original story.
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Rescuing a dream: Why Lizz Whitacre sees a future for shelter pets in Pawlytics

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:06:59 +0000

Lizz Whitacre is allergic to pets — the Midwest founder wasn’t allowed to have dogs or cats as a child — but not the perseverance to save them. Her new-to-Kansas City startup is now wagging momentum as she helps mom-and-pop boutique animal shelters streamline operations to boost adoptions.
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Hawaiian Bros adds C-suite storyteller to shape how the brand scales its island-inspired restaurant concept

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:51:53 +0000

As Hawaiian Bros expands into new regions and scales its franchising program, the pineapple-topped, Kansas City-built brand is adding a scoop of marketing expertise to its executive leadership menu.
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Serve good karma, get good karma: How Brian Roberts is keeping coffee shop’s flavor in Year 2

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 21:51:45 +0000

After a caffeinated burst of early word-of-mouth support, Brian Roberts’ new coffee and wine space near Tower East got a months-long jolt of good karma, he said — but as its newness cooled on the counter, the fledgling business began to lose its grip on thirsty customers.
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‘Feel through it’: Danny Soriano mixes Renaissance mindset with genre-hopping setlist

admin — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:47:55 +0000

Music provides more than a safe place to escape, said Kansas City-based artist and entrepreneur Danny Soriano; it’s simultaneously the space between people, and a connection that can tie them together.

“It’s really important for my music to spark conversations — or create an atmosphere where people feel safe enough at my concerts to start their own — even if it’s just about feeling safe within their emotions while listening to my music,” he said.
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Techstars returning to KC for one-night-only meetup; teasing what’s next for the global accelerator

admin — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:55:12 +0000

It’s easy to take for granted just how far the Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem has come, John Fein shared.

Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures is teaming up with the global startup accelerator Techstars for a Community Meetup 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at Grand Cafe on the Plaza. The event is free but space is limited.
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NXTUS is helping five emerging KC innovators gain customer traction; ‘Timing is right,’ startup founders say

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 22:05:32 +0000

A handful of Kansas City startups were among 22 early stage companies gathered in Wichita this week for the opening session of a program aimed at growing strong, sustainable businesses that uplift innovation and opportunity throughout the Heartland.
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Inside the MNDSHFT: Raw conversations stare into the entrepreneur struggle; strength stares back

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:22:11 +0000

A new video series from an acclaimed Kansas City creator dives into the daily routines, mental shifts, and no-BS strategies behind building businesses and lives that matter, said Quincy Lee, emphasizing episodes built to redefine the hustle mindset.
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Want to help KC’s new favorite rapper meme Missouri? This one’s for you

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:43:42 +0000

Riverside-born creator Lil String unravels viral comedy from everyday Kansas City destinations; Here’s how internet culture is translating into real-world turnout

From his cowboy hat to his boots, Lil String doesn’t take himself too seriously, he said. The rapper, comedian and content creator is rapidly building a local following by blending humor, music and hyper-specific Missouri references into short-form videos.

The aesthetic: an energy that feels less like promotion and more like inside jokes.
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Boulevard building outdoor ‘Yard’ space for added bar, patio capacity ahead of World Cup

admin — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 18:57:37 +0000

Construction began Wednesday on a new second-story outdoor bar and patio space at Boulevard Brewing Co. — bridging the popular tourist and recreation destination to its nearby parking garage — with an early summer opening planned just in time for the world’s largest soccer tournament.
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Ditch the highlight reel and gatekeepers: Founders share blueprint to building value, together

admin — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:26:14 +0000

Entrepreneurship is lonely, but it doesn’t have to be isolating, said Mark Launiu, opening a three-day summit rich in practical wisdom and firsthand storytelling from founders who’ve created businesses — and struggled through the times that suck — in Kansas City.
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Strategy for boosting KC economic mobility: graduating twice and stackable credentials

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:06:10 +0000

A just-released strategic plan aims to increase college attainment for Kansas Citians from low income high schools by 10 points to 23 percent by 2030, outlining an education access effort that doubles as an economic roadmap for a region in mid-transformation.
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J. Rieger earns role in new Jason Bourne thriller; chased with a shot of Monogram whiskey, neat

admin — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 20:51:13 +0000

When Jason Bourne slides into his next literary adventure, the CIA asset-turned-runaway agent is expected to find himself barrel-bound in the East Bottoms, said Andy Rieger, teasing a new thriller in the Bourne series that adds an iconic Kansas City destination to the hero’s story.
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Grab a plate, save a restaurant: KC’s 10-day crash course in cuisine could keep the doors open

admin — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:33:15 +0000

The region’s culinary community is toasting the return of Kansas City Restaurant Week with anticipation — and hopes for a serving of survival amid an economic downturn that’s seen the closures of dining establishments new and old across the metro.
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