They closed their restaurant for weeks to prep for World Cup; six months later, that pause is paying off (at least on big game days)
June 30, 2026 | Becky Brown
Payton Hannahs, general manager, and Jasmine Thompson, owner, at Señorita Margarita in Kansas City's Crossroads Arts District; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
One Crossroads favorite is capturing some of the bursts of travelers city officials and local FIFA World Cup organizers told businesses would come this summer. A freshly painted mural along the KC Streetcar line helped drive traffic, but success isn’t as simple as just hanging a soccer-themed welcome sign.
“We wanted to go all-in on the World Cup,” said Payton Hannahs, general manager for Señorita Margarita. “We’re right down the street from Fan Fest. And we were hearing 25,000 people a day, so we’re like, ‘Whoa! We better be prepared for that.’ When the NFL Draft was down the street, we were extremely busy. That was the only metric we had to say, ‘OK, this will be busy for us as well.’”
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Business has been buzzing — not booming — but ultimately the Señorita Margarita team was right.
Crowds came, and so did a giant inflatable World Cup trophy strapped atop a visitor’s car. The restaurant became a must-see backdrop for fans from Argentina and Ecuador. Kansas City police even had to block traffic at the intersection of 20th and Main streets to contain the revelry.
But to get there, Señorita Margarita first did the unthinkable for many entrepreneurs.
It closed.
Fans from Ecuador crowd the streets and sidewalks around Señorita Margarita on June 20 ahead of Ecuador’s match against Curaçao at Kansas City Stadium; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Training for the world
In December 2025 — just days before FIFA announced its draw that would reveal which teams would play in Kansas City — Señorita Margarita announced it would shutter operations for a few weeks to retool the restaurant based on the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for the small business.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but we wanted to make sure we were prepared,” said Hannahs, noting the plan to unveil a refreshed menu, updated space, and elevated guest experience to welcome fans from around the world once matches and base camp were known.
With a location right along the streetcar line and near venues like T-Mobile Center, the convention center, and Union Station, Señorita Margarita already got a fair share of event traffic, he noted. First Fridays are especially busy and the team keeps track of concerts and conferences in the area and adjusts staffing accordingly.
But they knew the World Cup crowds would be different, Hannahs said. Owner Jasmine Thompson wanted to be fully ready when they arrived.
Traveler projections that indicated as many as 650,000 visitors would come to Kansas City this summer for the games made Thompson and Hannahs take a hard look at their business. And they took classes.
Thompson is currently working on her MBA, and Hannahs is studying hospitality. Both can use Señorita Margarita for research and assignments.
“We’re using school in a different way,” he said. “We are literally implementing it. A lot of the techniques and tactics, we’re using.”
Nia Webster, assistant director of the Neighborhood Services Department for KCMO, which oversees the KC BizCare Office, speaks during a World Cup ESO Lunch and Learn session in September at City Hall; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Hannahs and some staff members also attended training held by KC BizCare about how to prepare for World Cup fans. Topics included kitchen and inventory management.
When it came to logistics, the Señorita Margaritas team knew they had to get serious, he said.
Facing challenges head on
Winter is typically the slowest time for the restaurant, Hannahs said, offering a weeks-long slot when he and Thompson felt they could tweak the physical space.
Fresh paint, new signage, and the deepest of deep cleans prepared the restaurant for larger food orders and bigger crowds. At the same time, they worked on staffing to ensure they had the right people in place for the World Cup.
Señorita Margarita at 2000 Main St in the Crossroads Arts District; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Once Señorita Margarita reopened, it then had to survive until the World Cup. As a largely walk-in business that attracts tourists, the team needed to find ways to pull in other, more local business — especially during the slow winter season. They created a Taco Tuesday special, reimagined how to use their event space, debuted sidewalk margarita samplings and a slimmed-down menu, and started offering discounts to nearby residents.
“We pushed a few marketing campaigns,” Hannahs said. “And we also went over how much our food is costing us. Being a small business, we had to utilize the time that we’re typically in the business to work on the business.”
Señorita Margarita was ready to face soccer season with a staff about five times what it would typically have in the winter.
“We haven’t had a bad time finding staffing,” Hannahs said. “It’s more about bringing in people that will mesh with the team and understand the experience we’re trying to give our guests and help us grow.”
A young family takes photos with a mural by Ecuador native Mister Alek — “Dos Naciones, Una Pasión” — depicts Ecuadorian star Willian Pacho and Argentina’s Lionel Messi on the side of Señorita Margarita; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
But about that mural …
Thompson and Hannahs put “Find a muralist” on their to-do list, though it found its way to the backburner. The north-facing exterior wall of Señorita Margarita’s building is highly visible, but they were stretched thin with other preparations.
Still, they mentioned their desire for a new mural to a few people. And because art moves in mysterious ways, soon muralist and Ecuador native Mister Alek was creating a unique work on the building.
His mural, “Dos Naciones, Una Pasión,” features Argentinian GOAT Lionel Messi and Ecuadorian star Willian Pacho. The mural has become a rallying point for fans of both teams. It’s also helped push customers inside Señorita Margarita, which now has flags from both countries hanging above the bar.
Inconsistent crowds, ongoing adjustments
Now that the World Cup is more than halfway complete, the team at Señorita Margarita isn’t sitting back and admiring its well-oiled machine.
“We’re literally adjusting every day,” Hannahs said.
Fluctuations in game schedules and unpredictable Midwestern weather have played a part. Weekends are proving the busiest bet, Thompson said.
Bird scooters line the street in front of Señorita Margarita on a slower weekday afternoon in the Crossroads Arts District; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
“When are the fans going to be at the Fan Fest? When’s the parade going to be happening? When does the USA play?” Hannahs said. “Now we’re in the thick of it, and we’re just trying to figure out when’s the best time to be open.”
The city’s new ordinance allowing certain establishments to extend hours has helped, he said. One night, the restaurant stayed open until 2 a.m. instead of the typical 1:30. But the hours haven’t been crazy, as Hannahs is sensitive to the well-being of his staff, he said. That’s also why the restaurant has implemented an automatic 20% gratuity on high-volume days.
“We don’t typically do the automatic gratuity,” Hannahs said. “But we got slammed with a lot of tourists … we did get some frustrated people who worked extremely hard and then didn’t have as much to show for it from tipping. We had to comp them in a way that they felt whole.”
Now — when the automatic gratuity is in place — signage tells patrons about the policy, and staff emphasizes it when they arrive. Some customers love it; some don’t; and others don’t care one way or the other, Hannahs said.
“As a small business, we’re able to do it a little bit more on the fly, especially with the tournament going down to the round of 32,” he said.
Keeping track of who is playing, what teams are in town, and what the weather looks like has been a full-time job, Hannahs said. But it’s all part of the game.
“It’s been hit or miss, honestly, from what we thought the World Cup would be. The days we thought, ‘Oh, it’s going to be busy’ have been slow, but we’re having a good time, and we’re doing OK,” he said. “We’re not doing as well as they said, but we’re not doing as bad as we could be. We’re right in the middle, and we’re excited for the tournament to keep progressing. I’m sure when the games get a bit more serious, we’ll get more people. We’ve been having a good time, though, through all of it.”
2000, Main Street, Downtown Kansas City, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, 64108, United States
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