Keith Bradley

Carlos Mortera, Poio

Brands from Poio to Made in KC booked for new airport; $1.5B expected through the gate over 15 years

Local and minority-owned vendors selected to operate shops in Kansas City’s new airport terminal are more than up to the task, said Carlos Mortera, emphasizing the power of adding flavor to the highly anticipated project. “Most airports aren’t filled with local businesses,” noted Mortera, founder of Poio Mexican Barbeque. “We in Kansas City, I feel…

Arvelisha Woods and India Monique, Mattie’s Foods

A Bible parable helped connect vegan foods to Made in KC cafes; here’s how two sisters planted the seed

Now served at Made in KC cafes across the metro — from the brand’s popular marketplaces to the new Outta the Blue oasis and downtown trolley cafe — vegan goods from Mattie’s Foods arrive on plates thanks to growing hunger for more healthy options, as well as the wholesome ingredients of a community-built business. Between…

Outta The Blue, Park Place

Made in KC opens beachy JoCo café Outta The Blue — complete with indoor palm trees and tropical drinks

In an era of online ordering, curbside delivery and quick departures, Made in KC’s latest concept — a breezy beach café in Leawood — envisions an oasis where Kansas Citians swing by, but stay, for local coffee, natural wines, hard-to-find tropical cocktails, and vegan sandwiches from Mattie’s. “We’re not quite a full-on restaurant experience with this…

Penn 1 at The District in Lenexa City Center

Made in KC goes West: Why the local-first retailer is opening a marketplace (with shuffleboard) in Lenexa

A newly announced Made in KC Marketplace at Lenexa City Center will make local goods — and the makers behind them — more accessible to a fast-developing piece of Kansas City, said Keith Bradley. “Part of our mission as a company is to make shopping local a habit,” said Bradley, co-owner of Made in KC, a…

Unruh Furniture at Made in KC Marketplace on the Country Club Plaza

After historic church’s collapse, Unruh Furniture builds new showroom in one of the Plaza’s busiest hubs 

The demolition of Westminster Congregational Church not only puts an end to its one-of-a-kind architecture, but also the century-long memories that come with the building, said Sam Unruh. “When I first stumbled across the old church, it had been vacant for seven or eight years and was in really bad shape,” recalled the founder of…