Recent Stories by Joyce Smith
No late risers: KC’s hottest line leads to a sell-out doughnut; owners balance appetite with days-long production
At 4:45 a.m. on a rainy Saturday morning, Susan Worrel of Overland Park was first in line at the new Slow Rise doughnut shop by her subdivision. She had tried the week before, arriving an hour before the doors opened, only to find a line of hungry would-be diners stretching down the shopping center. The…
Iconic KC BBQ spot opening ‘Joe’s Next Door’ in former Taco Republic across the street
A beloved Kansas City barbecue is set to debut a new neighborhood restaurant concept — its first new location in nearly a decade — open every day of the week. The owners of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que plan to launch Joe’s Next Door in May, in the former Taco Republic complex — just across Mission…
Chef J planning Northland BBQ experience: His training was Italian, his passion fire
After six years as a mostly weekend only, lunch-to-sellout barbecue operation in the West Bottoms, Chef J BBQ is ready to give the metro its first traditional outdoor smokehouse restaurant. The new North Kansas City venue will feature live fire, offset smokers set up next to a large outdoor patio where customers can get an…
Kitchen grit caramelizes into smooth storefront opportunity for soon-to-open candy shop
The secret ingredient in Brandi Robertson’s signature sweet — a handcrafted take on her Grandmother Betty’s caramel dessert topping — isn’t found in the pantry or recipe box. Perseverance itself is the perfection within her confection, she said. “If you are going to waste calories, it better be good,” said Robertson, who spent nearly a…
How two, decades-apart military pairings landed a 130-year-old Greek liqueur brand in KC stores
Just one sip of this cinnamon clove-infused Greek liqueur and Glen Shilland was won over. But he wasn’t just enjoying Zamoura; he was immediately envisioning an import business so others in the U.S. could enjoy it too. Produced in Patras, Greece, since 1895, Zamoura is made with a secret family recipe and all-natural ingredients. “It…
Stockyards Brewing ferments opening day for its new suburban Overland Park taproom
Johnson County craft beer fans have been eagerly awaiting this day for four long years — a delay caused, in part, by one founder’s refusal to compromise on his vision for his latest brewhouse. But now Stockyards Brewing Co.’s Overland Park taproom has set a Jan. 30 opening at 10310 Mastin St. — the site…
Overnight proof? Boujee Baker KC rising after decades in the ooey-gooey making
It’s the wee hours of the morning. Pitch-dark sky, hardly a murmur on these urban streets. Most of Kansas City tucked in their cozy beds. But inside this tiny brick building on 12th Street earlier this week, the lights are bright, R&B music is buzzing, and the oven is blazing — ready to finish off…
Peek in Tap Ins: This mini golf concept replaces windmills and trick shots with 100 TVs and Joshua trees
Ryan Patton’s drive to find the perfect hometown spot to entertain his four children — teens and a tween — left the Leawood dad in a sand trap. Finding less than ideal options, Patton pulled out the biggest wedge he could carry — taking a swing with a massive $15 million golf entertainment complex in…
Don’t be a stranger: When this Crossroads refuge closes, another chapter begins for Afterword (and the space it leaves behind)
This cozy corner hotspot where patrons leisurely bond over drinks and good reads — the popular Crossroads third-space isn’t finished telling its story.
A romantic hideaway (for you and a book): Entrepreneur’s heart for reading opens store on Independence Square
America Fontenot didn’t plan to launch her new Independence bookstore on national Small Business Saturday – the busiest shopping weekend of the year – but renovation delays just kept pushing back the opening, she said. So while many small shops were offering Black Friday-adjacent deals to get customers in the front door, Fontenot’s The Littlest…