VIDEO: Local Legends makes brick-and-mortar play with new Westport gaming center
November 26, 2018 | Austin Barnes and Tommy Felts
A popular E-Sports startup plans to level up sooner than its founder ever envisioned — putting Local Legends Gaming on Main Street.
Brianna and AbdulRasheed Yahaya, Local Legends Gaming
But this time, it’s wheels up, said AbdulRasheed Yahaya.
“We really want to introduce Kansas City to the big, E-Sports brand and how social [gaming] really is,” Yahaya said of his new brick-and-mortar business venture — Local Legends Gaming Center.
The site at 3933 Main St., near dozens of Westport area entertainment options, comes about a year after Yahaya and his wife, Brianna, launched Local Legends as a mobile gaming truck. The two planned a slow rollout, hoping to develop a gaming center further down the road. But when the opportunity to move beyond a successful string of one-off birthday parties and events presented itself more quickly, the Yahayas were ready to pounce.
Keep reading below the video.
“We want to provide an opportunity for [serious gamers] to truly shine,” he said of the training aspect Local Legends will offer gamers. “We’re going to find individuals who are passionate and enable them to be as great as they possibly can be.”
Set to open Dec. 8, Local Legends will serve as a training site for E-Sports enthusiasts, eager to hit the next level in the world of competitive gaming, Yahaya explained.
Offering players a place where they feel truly welcome, he said, the location could help defeat common stereotypes through social gaming.
“We provide opportunities for two or more individuals to sit on a couch together and get to know each other, make friends off of a liked, beloved experience,” Yahaya said, echoing a philosophy that helped make the ongoing mobile gaming truck a success.
Click here to read more about Local Legends Gaming’s beginnings, as well as E-Sports in Kansas City.
Creating a space for gamers to share their interests is the first step in a greater community cause — providing a gathering place that feels like a home away from home for young people in the metro, he said.
The entrepreneur plans to partner with such local brands as MADE Urban Apparel and HeartShaped Clothing — both companies that are likely to hold retail space inside the gaming center, Yahaya said — to host events that promote fun for young people, outside of clubs and bars.
Local Legends Gaming Center will also serve as an event space, Yayhaya said, enabling the startup founder to maximize the full potential of his 5,000-square-foot center.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Why one chef calls city’s airport vote a ‘life-changing event for small businesses in Kansas City’
A freshly stamped plan to bring more than a dozen women- and minority-owned businesses — among 40 local brands — to Kansas City’s new airport terminal is a surreal turn for Laronda Lanear, the Kansas City chef said, noting the project’s opportunity for generational impact. “It’s going to change my life, my daughter’s life. It’s going…
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…
Erkios confirms KC headquarters moving to St. Louis; gears up for 2022 product launch
While vendors for Erkios Systems were shut down during the pandemic, Sean Null and his team got busy learning the necessary skills to keep their startup going, he recalled. “We were doing a lot of the work on our own; so when the world started moving again, we were prepared. Essentially, we were able to…
Sustainable style: Pop-up jewelry maker adds final touch of flare through zero-waste designs
Everything in Adrianna Stranak’s life seems to happen a bit haphazardly, she said, laughing. “When I started making jewelry, creating a business was not my initial goal,” shared Stranak, who teaches kindergarten in Kansas City, Kansas. “For me, I wanted these earrings that I couldn’t afford, so I made them!” As Stranak continued designing and…