Recent Stories by Joyce Smith
Mersea founders kept their sea legs; now they’re setting sail with the brand’s first storefront
More than a dozen years after it was founded, Lenexa-based Mersea has its first celebrity and designer collaborations, as well as a new pop-up on the Country Club Plaza — its first brick-and-mortar store.
Herbs N’ Harlem founder had to slow down to scale up; now she’s meditating on expansion
“I want people to know: the worst thing you can think of, you can make it through. You are capable of moving on from loss. To get up and keep going. I promise,” said Ma’Ryah Jennings.
Boulevard’s Easy Orange ale makes Dutch fans’ bucket lists as World Cup anticipation ferments
Boulevard Brewing Co.’s Easy Orange limited-edition summer ale was so popular in 2025, the Kansas City brewery planned to roll it out again this year — long before Kansas City was announced as the FIFA World Cup base camp for the Netherlands.
Big Grove Brewery opens in Prairie Village, leading neighborhood’s sprawling retail reboot
A massive restaurant and brewery is the first tenant to open in the redeveloped Macy’s building in Prairie Village, with more tenants coming soon to the complex, as well as The Shops of Prairie Village.
Visitors will never guess what KC has in store for World Cup: Inside Open Doors! new shops
Bubble and slime play. Vegan Mexican cuisine. A jazz listening room. The variety and depth of Kansas City’s wide-ranging small business community will pop when visitors near and far arrive for the FIFA World Cup, said Nia Webster, calling out a compelling list of entrepreneurs selected for the city’s Open Doors! program.
This lobster roll’s journey to KC began with a chef who wasn’t satisfied wearing the short apron
"Everyone’s head is down making sure we are knocking it out of the park," said chef Brandon West, fresh from opening Frankie Pickle’s in Prairie Village. "I’m all about growth.”
Pedaling a dream: Concierge bike shop street tests whether repairs alone can keep business torqued
“They say you can’t raise a family, you can’t buy a house on a mechanic’s salary,” Aaron Apel said. “It’s just one of those industries where we haven’t been able to professionalize the mechanic side of things.”
Charlie Hustle preps Oak Park Mall store as new owners evolve brand to fit Houston, St. Louis markets (and the world)
Kansas City’s iconic clothing brand Charlie Hustle has a new World Heart Collection in the works for FIFA World Cup 2026 — debuting the collection in June at its new Johnson County pop-up store.
It’s open season on fresh eats at Iron District: See what’s new from North KC’s container cuisine hub
“We are getting away from the incubator concept but we would still like to help people grow,” said Phillip Jones, food service director at the Iron District.
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…