2018 Startups to Watch: Made in KC hometown goods hub expands
January 16, 2018 | Traci Angel
Editor’s note: Startland News selected the top Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2018’s companies. To view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch, click here.
Made in KC Cafe wants customers to sip a Kansas City brew, then peruse what local artisans have to offer.
The coffee-and-browse experience awaits at the latest venture from Made in KC. The one-stop shop debuted its 1114 Baltimore Ave. hybrid store in December, introducing a concept of fresh-brewed, inviting java and locally produced wares.
1) Plexpod
2) PayIt
3) Bardavon
4) Rx Savings Solutions
5) Swell Spark
6) Mycroft
7) Super Dispatch
8) Made in KC
9) RFP365
10) Ruby Jean’s Juicery (tie)
10) Cambrian (tie)
The company also launched the online Made in Kansas City Marketplace, expanding the availability of items already found in Made in KC shops and partner Hallmark stores, as well as including other vendors not previously stocked in brick-and-mortar locations.
“It’s a resource and it’s like Etsy, only with Kansas City products,” said Tyler Enders, Made in KC co-founder.
Outreach also comes in the form of Made in KC Explore, a component of the company’s website that offers lists and featured attractions from throughout the metro. Postings include “Menu of the Month” and “Drinking Coffee in Kansas City,” as well as the popular feature “Living in Cinn,” which spotlights the quest for cinnamon rolls across town.
“It’s another way to serve our clientele,” Enders said of the online venture, which began in spring 2017. “We added two or three articles a week last year.”
Still, Made in KC Cafe was the year’s biggest attention-grabber, he said.
“We got an amazing reception and hadn’t done any advertising,” Enders said.
Ten Kansas City-based roasters will be on a rotation at the shop to provide customers with a taste of local coffee blends, including varieties like cold brew and nitro cold brew. The cafe is slated to open a bar in the back this spring that will offer local beer on tap.
“We have laid our groundwork for the year,” Enders said, adding that among other changes, Made in KC has added administrative space in the Crossroads to accommodate its growth. He is keeping quiet, however, on a few of concepts he said will be announced later this year.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Mom-and-popping it: Nounou platform curates trusted babysitters for JoCo families
Nounou Neighbors takes the fear out of the surprisingly cutthroat babysitting industry, said Molly Smalley, noting her online platform raised 200 percent client base growth in 2018. “As a mom, finding [a babysitter] is exhausting and friends never want to give you their sitter,” laughed Molly, founder of the Kansas-based babysitting service with her husband,…
Doob in doubt: 3D-printed action figures fighting to secure a paying audience in KC
Business isn’t what it should be for a company as innovative as Doob 3D, Nick Nikkhah said openly, seated on a leather couch that looked out across the Overland Park retail store’s showroom. “People don’t know what to do with [Doob]. They’re just like, ‘Whoa, what is that?’ … It’s a new thing for me.…
Reports: St. Louis startup scene surging while KC struggles to keep pace with past wins
Founders hoping to launch a new startup or move into a fresh market might have better success in St. Louis, rather than Kansas City, according to Inc. magazine’s Surge Cities Index. Inc. placed St. Louis at No. 33 on its 50 Best Places in America for Starting a Business list. Kansas City was positioned at…
Documentary spotlighting CAPS students set for sold-out premiere (Watch the trailer)
There’s no syllabus for life, laments a teenage student in a soon-to-be released documentary detailing the impact of experiential learning on the new generation of youth about to enter the workforce. The documentary — “Where Students Lead” — heavily showcases student voice and the Center for Advanced Professional Studies, said Corey Mohn, executive director of…