News Stories
Foodpreneur boot camp deploys ‘business in a box’ concept to prep builders for industry reality
A boot camp for Kansas entrepreneurs getting into the food industry works through a menu of resources they’ll need to turn a profit, said Tiffany Helton, emphasizing the program takes stock of business realities that might not always seem glamorous. “We get into nitty gritty — like licensing, business plan, marketing, financials, employees, company culture,”…
These 5 Kansas City area restaurants and bars are 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists
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. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Some of Kansas City’s most highly regarded culinary figures are among this year’s nominees, including Helen Jo Leach and Johnny Leach…
Paramedic by day (and night), this Scream Queen fights fire with vegan ice cream
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. After putting in a 24-hour shift at Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Station 5,…
Rescuing a dream: Why Lizz Whitacre sees a future for shelter pets in Pawlytics
Lizz Whitacre grew up allergic to pets; the Midwest founder wasn’t even allowed to have dogs or cats as a child. But that didn’t stop her from fostering a deep-seated need to save them all; her Nebraska-built startup is now wagging momentum in Kansas City to help mom-and-pop boutique animal shelters streamline operations to boost…
Hawaiian Bros adds C-suite storyteller to shape how the brand scales its island-inspired restaurant concept
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. Shannon Scott, who spent more than a decade as a marketing executive at Applebee’s before helping to lead the American Academy of Family Physicians, has been…