Local Business

After two shootings at stores in the Plaza, some retailers have changed their business hours out of concerns for employee safety. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the city is talking with the Plaza's owners about increasing law enforcement presence in the area.

With tens of thousands of social media followers, the fashion brand Yvonne and Mitchel is the passion project of Jared Armstrong and Caylin Willis. They take clothing and materials from secondhand stores like Scraps KC and repurpose them into new outfits.

River Hawk Boat Shop in Lee's Summit crafts sleek, state-of-the-art racing boats that are in demand for the MR340, a 340-mile river race that kicks off this week from Kansas City. Their boats have won every race for the past eight years, and the new owners are hoping to do it again.

Many local retailers reported disappointing sales during the much-hyped NFL Draft. But it was a real "love story" between Swifties and Kansas City restaurants and stores, many of which reported seeing big increases in out-of-town customers.

The garnishes in these mixed drinks are bigger, and the flavors are bolder — they might even be 'fat-washed' or clarified with Hidden Valley Ranch. Whether they include alcohol or are making mocktails, bars and bartenders are becoming more creative than ever.

For more than 40 years, Grimm Tattoo has made its home in Westport. But after a fire in April broke out in the building next door — destroying their furniture, equipment and flash designs — owner Wes Grimm decided it was time to move the tattoo shop and museum.

Vignettes Cocktail Bar has about a 70% success rate with creative six-week pop-up concepts. “We keep the lights on and pay our bills. We’re doing well and we love it,” says co-owner Edward Schmalz.

The subject of an award-winning documentary, Sonia Warshawski survived Nazi concentration camps before making it to Kansas City. John's Tailoring, which she took over in 1989 after her husband passed away, has been operating in the area for more than six decades.

A former Betty Rae's scooper himself, Alec Rodgers bought and reopened the ice cream shops in 2021 following misconduct allegations against the original owners. Now he's selling the business to Matt Shatto of Shatto Milk Company, who has ambitions to expand to new locations across Kansas City.

The cultural phenomenon of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games has a strong following in the Kansas City community. Whether you're looking to roll your first d20 or just searching for a new campaign to join, here's how you can get started.

At the end of April, Carlo Mortera announced his decision to permanently close his popular Mexican barbeque restaurant, Poio, in Kansas City, Kansas. But there's still a franchise location open inside the new Kansas City International Airport terminal.

Just a short jaunt across the state line is an overlooked food scene. Explore all the offerings of Kansas City, Kansas — including Mexican restaurants, meat markets, dive bars, Chinese food, a donut shop and more.