rOOTS KC grows into third location, planting shop in River Market ahead of World Cup
November 4, 2025 | Jocelyn Heckman
Initially setting its roots as a pop-up plant shop in 2020, Dee Ferguson’s leafy business has grown to three Kansas City locations. The secret is in the soil, she said, describing a strategy for cultivating customers through free, evergreen plant care support and “community-rooted spirit.”
The name rOOTS comes from Dee Ferguson’s surname: Oots.
Born and raised in Kansas City, she earned an appreciation of plants at a young age alongside her grandparents. Branding for the business allows her to honor their contribution to her life.
“2025 has been a difficult year for all of retail,” said Ferguson, who first launched rOOTS KC as a brick-and-mortar storefront in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood before expanding to both Zona Rosa and The River Market. “So we’re rolling with the punches and ensuring we are always customer experience focused. That’s really been our success story.”
The stores specialize in matching each customer with the right plant for their lifestyle, she said, noting the team offers free in-store potting, professional repotting help, plant health checks, and expert advice so plants can thrive in their new homes.
They even make their own special soil — Plant Bimbo Potting Soil — using compost sourced in Kansas City.
Click here to shop rOOTS KC.
Place also is important to the woman-owned venture, Ferguson said, describing an intentional push to create space for neighborhood engagement in each store. The Westside location, for example, doubles as an art gallery, featuring work from local artists, which rotate each month. The stores also host workshops and seasonal events like terrarium-building nights and holiday crafts.
Such gatherings bring people together physically, but also show how plants can help plug people into their communities in a deeper and more meaningful way, Ferguson said, noting the most difficult element of expanding into more stores is balancing growth and maintaining the personal and neighborhood focus that makes the brand successful.
“Even though we’ve grown into storefronts, we’ve never stopped being a pop-up at heart,” she said. “It’s always been about people helping them find a plant that fits their life and bringing Kansas City together.”
The rOOTS KC store in River Market at 412 Delaware St.; photo by Jocelyn Heckman, Startland News
The brand’s newest store in River Market is growing squarely within the shadow of the the coming FIFA World Cup, a region-redefining moment that’s set to bring as many as 650,000 visitors to Kansas City in June and July 2026.
RELATED: Here’s how KCMO plans to turn empty storefronts into a World Cup stage for local talent
“As Kansas City works to revitalize retail spaces ahead of the World Cup, rOOTS KC stands as a proud example of local resilience, reinvestment, and helping KC grow — in every sense of the word,” Ferguson said.
Click here to follow rOOTS KC on Instagram.
Jocelyn Heckman is a Park Hill South High School journalism student and an intern for Startland News.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Crown prime location: How two KC foodies are creating Museum of BBQ in one of the world’s barbecue capitals
A new museum — showcasing Kansas City as a barbecue capital of the world, as well as how meat takes on its famous flavors — is set to open in spring 2025 the Crown Center Shops, led by two veterans of the local food scene, and complete with barbecue baked beans ball pit. The aptly…
‘Wonderful things anywhere’: Entrepreneurs share keys to ‘Main Street’ success
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and The Kansas City Beacon. Click here to read the original story. COLUMBIA, Missouri — When Willy Schlacks noticed what he said were inefficiencies plaguing…
Sweet Peaches wants a bigger piece of the pie; crowdfunding could scale this small biz across US
Community support will be key for Sweet Peaches Cobblers next batch of growth, said Denisha Jones, announcing plans to use Kickstarter funding to pack her flavorful and beloved family desserts into the freezers of more major retailers across the U.S. Already a local Kansas City favorite, Sweet Peaches Cobbler can be found in more than…
Jeremy Terman turned a likely ‘no’ into a tech career; his advice: Don’t wait for permission to start
The biggest risks are in doing nothing, said Jeremy Terman, encouraging entrepreneurship students at UMKC to take the plunge — even if at times the world might be telling them they aren’t ready. “You don’t have to be in a box. You don’t have to listen to what the rules are,” said Terman, an investor…