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Even legends need a reboot. Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza is in a well-publicized moment of renewal — especially with the KC Streetcar set to bring more shoppers to the historic neighborhood.
At just over 100 years old, the Country Club Plaza was originally the creation of racist real estate developer J.C. Nichols, who wanted the shopping district to exclusively appeal to affluent, white residents. Since 2020, the city has started to seriously rethink this legacy, removing Nichols’ name from the nearby parkway and fountain.
Meanwhile, rising vacancies, deferred maintenance and security worries have stirred debate over whether the Plaza could still be a signature destination for Kansas City shoppers.
In mid-2024, Dallas-based HP Village Management purchased the Plaza after the prior owners defaulted on a $300 million loan.
HP Village says it plans to invest heavily in infrastructure, to restore façades, widen sidewalks and attract more local tenants — what the firm calls a “recommitment” to the Plaza’s historic character. Kansas City officials, meanwhile, have loosened zoning and height restrictions to encourage new residential and mixed-use development.
Business owners welcome some improved communication and repairs, although progress has been slow, while residents express concern about rising rents and preserving the Plaza’s architectural integrity.
Between facelifts discussed and underway, to walk the Plaza’s blocks and look up at the iconic Spanish-style architecture still stirs a feeling — something buzzy and aspirational, yet inviting. What happens next might be its most exciting chapter yet.
Where to eat on the Plaza
Yes, the Plaza leans branded and national these days (including an always-busy revolving sushi restaurant). But a handful of places remain rooted in local flavor, legacy and ownership.
Heritage by Bo Lings | 4701 Jefferson St.
Heritage is the reimagined version of the longtime Plaza Chinese institution formerly known as Bo Lings. The menu now includes sushi, dim sum, Sichuan flavors and a sake-focused bar experience. The owners have said they will preserve Bo Lings’ most-loved classics while leaning into the modern Asian fusion trend.
JJ’s Restaurant | 4810 Roanoke Parkway
Situated at the Polsinelli Building’s lobby level, JJ’s is your contemporary haute-ish American restaurant offering steaks and wine in a warm, elegant setting. Menu favorites include the Paco Shrimp appetizer and the flagship JJ’s Pride steak, an 11 oz. tenderloin rubbed with porcini mushrooms and rubbed with demi-glace.
T’ähä Mexican Kitchen | 4814 Roanoke Parkway
A family-owned restaurant specializing in Central Mexican cuisine with a fine-dining tilt, T’ähä crafts everything in-house, from hand-pressed tortillas to 24-ingredient moles. T’ähä aims to fill a gap in upscale Mexican fare — ambitious, regionally grounded, and designed to invite exploration.
The Classic Cup Café | 301 W. 47th St.
This brunch staple feels like a neighborhood happening. Visitors praise its Pacific Northwest Benedict (smoked salmon eggs Benedict) and hearty breakfast plates. The woodwork, mosaic tile floor and sidewalk patio remain inviting — a morning ritual for many, “classic” in name and spirit.
Rye | 460 Nichols Road
Chef Colby Garrelts’s kitchen serves Southern comfort with confidence. Diners rave about its fried chicken — tender meat, crisp crust, just right — and burnt ends and farmhouse toast. It’s the kind of place to impress visitors with elevated yet unmistakably Kansas City cooking.
Chaz on the Plaza | Inside The Raphael, 325 Ward Parkway
Jazz, wine, ambiance. This intimate restaurant and bar exudes old-world elegance behind The Raphael’s historic façade. Guests recommend the Chazberry cocktail, pan-seared scallops and rotating seasonal entrées. For anyone seeking a sophisticated nightcap, this is a quiet gem.
Jack Stack BBQ | 4740 Broadway Blvd.
A Kansas City institution. Its burnt ends and cheesy corn bake still spark loyalty across the metro.
Plaza Provisions | Inside the Cascade Hotel, 4620 Wornall Road
The latest iteration of the Cascade Hotel’s food hall features some Kansas City-area favorite restaurants, such as Hawg Jaw Que & Brew, Lula’s Southern Cookhouse, Guy’s Deli & Pizza, and the J. Rieger distillery.
The Monarch Bar | 4808 Roanoke Parkway
Extend your Plaza evening with artful cocktails and low-lit calm, also inside the Polsinelli Building. Their butterfly-inspired drinks are as creative as anything around Kansas City.
Café Trio | 4558 Main St.
Within walking distance on Main Street, right off the Streetcar line, Café Trio offers a warm experience with signature martinis, an extensive wine list, and live music to accompany your meal.
Other Plaza finds include a branch of Messenger Coffee, Prime Social’s rooftop cocktail bar, the bubble tea shop Bruú Café, and on the other side of the KC Streetcar stop, Grand Street Cafe and Winstead’s Steakburgers.
And that’s not even including the great restaurants and stores found in the West Plaza and South Plaza neighborhoods — recommendations for another time!
Arts and shopping
One of the Plaza’s quiet strengths is its proximity to Kansas City’s cultural core. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Kauffman Memorial Garden all sit within easy reach.
Just beyond the storefronts, Brush Creek Trail offers a shaded walkway lined with bridges and sculpture. The Mill Creek Park Fountain, anchored by Neptune and sea-myth figures, continues to mark the Plaza’s edge with timeless flair.
The district’s open-air experience is a curated mix of over 100 shops and eateries, with dozens of retailers unique to Kansas City.
There are of course local boutique anchors in jewelry, accessories and artisan goods — shops like EB & Co., Nickel & Suede, Made in KC Marketplace, Vinca Jewelry, and Beloved! Boutique appear alongside national brands.
Upscale collective boutiques include KC Style Haus, a marketplace of more than 70 local independent artists and businesses, amplifying the “shop local” DNA. Kansas City-based sports and local-pride retailer Charlie Hustle has its flagship shop here.
And the pop-up trend has its Plaza editions, with new entries like Perch and J.H. & Sons being added to the lineup.
Must-attend events
The Plaza Art Fair each September transforms Nichols Road into an open-air gallery, drawing more than 250,000 visitors.
Expect around 240 artists to exhibit their works, and swing by three live music stages — or just use them as your ambient soundtrack. To complete the scene, dozens of local restaurants operate booths, and various stages showcase the Kansas City music scene.
The Plaza Lighting Ceremony returns each year just after Thanksgiving, lighting a glow of more than 200,000 that feels like the city’s heartbeat.
The tradition, which began in 1925 with a single strand, now draws crowds that, like the art fair, are in the hundreds of thousands.
Each year on the date, the ceremonial switch is flipped around 7 p.m. Parking garages are free, and performances precede the countdown. Such an important event requires months of work: Crews begin stringing lights as early as August.
The Plaza 10K, Kansas City’s premier fall road race, is another September tradition. Thousands of runners and thousands more attendees pour in to celebrate fitness and do a little good, too, as the run benefits Saint Luke’s Home Care & Hospice House. There’s a kids run at 9:30 a.m., too.
Lastly, one event to blend them all: the Kansas City International Dragon Boat Festival. Organized by the Society for Friendship with China in partnership with Kansas City Parks, the regatta brings together a beautiful menagerie of Chinese-styled dragon boats.
Crews race vividly painted crafts in timed heats, accompanied by drums, dancing and Chinese cultural performances. A second, unrelated event by GWN Dragon Boat takes place at Shawnee Mission Park — but the Brush Creek festival remains the original, Plaza-side tradition.
