KC Daiquiri Shop closing Dec. 1; iconic duo behind the party vibes plans to ‘regroup, reflect, and rebuild’
November 26, 2024 | Tommy Felts
The good times roll through the weekend at KC Daiquiri Shop as the well-known Mardi Gras-themed getaway on Grand Boulevard shuts down its years-long revelry.
KC Daiquiri Shop; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
“This decision has not come lightly,” Kinley Strickland and Calvin Vick, owners of KC Daiquiri Shop, said Monday in a social media post announcing the business’ plans to close Dec. 1. “We have faced a slow economy, challenges with local and state government, and ongoing legal battles with neighboring businesses that have been less than supportive.”
The news follows the closures earlier this year of Soiree, The Krave, and Privee — Black-owned restaurants that each became a staple of Kansas City’s evolving food scene.
KC Daiquiri Shop opened in 2019, building its colorful, music-wrapped brand from the storefront at 1116 Grand. Strickland and Vick were at the front of the line in 2020, pushing for restaurant industry and city ordinance changes to allow establishments like KC Daiquiri Shop to offer cocktails to go during the pandemic — a move aimed at saving their livelihoods, as well as helping out customers in search of an escape back to normalcy.
“We developed a special product. It’s not like you can go to a restaurant or a bar and get it,” Vick told Startland News in 2020, describing the ways KC Daiquiri Shop innovated and advocated for itself in the face of COVID setbacks. “People come to us from St. Joseph, Wichita, Iowa.”
Kinley Strickland and Calvin Vick, KC Daiquiri Shop; Image courtesy of The Man Listen Show
Strickland and Vick left their corporate careers for entrepreneurship in 2018, driven by Vick’s daiquiri shop concept. With support from their sister company in Dallas with owners from New Orleans, they wanted to offer a taste of the city in the Midwest.
“We knew we’d be successful. A lot of people didn’t believe in the concept in the Midwest, but we know it would work,” Strickland told Startland News earlier this year. “No one has the authentic New Orleans experience with the frozen daiquiris, Cajun and Creole food, the atmosphere, or the vibe.”
Riding a parade of post-pandemic success, KC Daiquiri Shop later opened a seasonal ballpark stand at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas, home of the Kansas City Monarchs, along with a standalone Cajun restaurant — KC Daiquiri Shop: Bistreaux — in 2021 in Overland Park.
The Bistreaux concept closed in October 2023.
“Throughout our journey, we have been proud to provide not just delicious food and drinks, but also a place where our community could gather, connect, and celebrate,” Strickland and Vick said in Monday’s social media statement. “We have created jobs, offered opportunities to second-chance felons and our displaced citizens, and continued to foster a sense of belonging that we hope has enriched your lives as much as it has enriched ours.”
The business partners’ next steps: regroup, reflect, and rebuild, they said, emphasizing it’s not the end for them.
“We believe in the resilience of our community and the power of support we have always shared. We trust that this moment will lead to new beginnings and opportunities for us all,” they said. “Thank you for the love, support, and memories over the years. We will carry the spirit of the DaqShop and the connections we’ve made into whatever comes next. Keep an eye out for what lies ahead — we are excited for the future!”
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Porter House KC’s new ‘Alchemy Sandbox’ grants 20 main street businesses with up to $5K each
A newly launched program by The Porter House KC is aimed at providing small business owners with as much as $5,000 for their back office, equipment cost, rental assistance or general system needs, detailed Dan Smith. “We’re really excited about this Alchemy Sandbox program. ‘Alchemy’ is a word that just kept coming up at the…
Their exclusive Chiefs hoodies sold out in less than three hours; How you can snag a tee before it’s too late
Chiefs playoffs tickets might be the hottest-selling item in town, but there’s a close second. Lines started forming at 4 p.m. Friday outside MADE MOBB’s headquarters in the Crossroads as fans eagerly awaited the release of the premier KC streetwear brand’s exclusive post-season collaboration with the Kansas City Chiefs. And the crowds didn’t let up…
Taste 200 restaurants in 10 days? Why your stomach (and hungry neighbors) will thank you
Curious Kansas City diners can step away from their kitchens for the next 10 days, teased Carlos Mortera, as chefs at 200 restaurants across the city plate their latest trending tastes during the metro’s most-anticipated culinary showcase. “It’s a big deal in Kansas City. Many of the restaurants feature items they don’t usually have on the…
After years searching for belonging, new VFA director discovers like minds within startup workforce fellowship
Craig Moore’s new role at Venture for America gives him even greater opportunities to boost representation for entrepreneurs and workers of color, the Black Excellence KC co-founder said. And VFA already has been doing the work, he added. “This is probably the most culturally aware group I have ever been a part of,” said Moore,…