Joyce Smith

First opened in 2018, the Kansas City cocktail bar will shut its doors at the end of January. The new landlord plans to convert the space into a new lounge concept — to the dismay of many longtime customers. But Afterword's leaders are hunting for a new home.

The Littlest Library, which opened on Independence Square last week, offers romance and fantasy genres and books in Spanish. It also features a hidden event space.

Located in the former Starbucks building, the Current Shop will feature kits and branded scarves, plus a customization station where fans can personalize their gear. It also will be a site for player autograph signings and other team programming.

André’s Confiserie Suisse, a family-run chocolatier for 70 years, helped redefine accessible luxury in the Midwest. While the Overland Park location is set to close at the end of the year, the brand has no plans to slow production.

Pop star Taylor Swift was spotted during the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC Championship run in 2024 wearing an EB and Co. piece. The exposure helped the Kansas City brand rapidly expand.

After surviving cancer, Kansas City restauranteur Shawn McClenny is opening Lilico's Taverna in the former home of The Pairing. The Spanish-inspired cafe will specialize in sangria, charcuterie boards, caviar, and an array of imported tins of seafood.

At Ding Dong Dogs just west of UMKC, you can get The Roo-Up Dog, a jumbo dog topped with pulled pork, pickled red onion, sport peppers and barbecue mustard. Or bite into The Big Salvy, the same jumbo wiener smothered with caramelized onion, giardiniera, tots and mustard.

Taste of Brazil Express, a quick-serve kiosk with a limited menu, plans a late September opening in the food court of Oak Park Mall. It will serve fan-favorite snacks like coxinhas, acai bowls and cheese bread.

After Kansas City native Brett Janssen met his fiancé Genisis Mejia in Colombia, the couple bought a 50-acre farm in the Andes Mountains. Now Janssen will make the 2,700-mile journey bringing coffee beans back to Janssen's Place Coffee, which opens in October.

The food hall, just up the hill from the Plaza, is set to open Monday in the Cascade Hotel, 4600 Wornall Rd. Plaza Provisions takes the place of the Strang Chef Collective, which closed in December after just a year.