Minority-Led

Why keep Betty Rae’s from the world? KC ice cream shop franchising brand across region

By Tommy Felts / February 27, 2025

Matt Shatto wants to “create smiles across the country” — not just in the metro. His plan: scoop a pint of franchising into the handcrafted mix for Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, a shop that developed into multiple must-visit Kansas City destinations over nearly a decade. Betty Rae’s is now targeting seven cities in the region…

ProX calls on KC employers to help plant seeds; 1,700 student interns await program’s summer sunlight

By Tommy Felts / February 27, 2025

For the fourth consecutive summer, ProX — one of the largest paid internship programs in the country — is giving Kansas City-area employers the opportunity to invest in the region’s future talent, Solissa Franco-McKay shared. The collaborative ProX effort pairs Kansas City students — from both sides of the state line — with area employers…

Superstars pack KC Chamber celebration with gratitude; thankful for a space to belong when many feel lost

By Tommy Felts / February 26, 2025

Julie Cortes beamed as she took in the energy of Kansas City’s small business community Tuesday evening — surrounded by hundreds of her fellow Small Business Superstars and a crowd eager to build an emerging spirit of entrepreneurship. “It feels so amazing to be here,” Cortes, founder of Freelance Rockstar, said from inside the packed…

Ixtapa closes JoCo favorite; owner says he won’t compromise family recipes or up prices as food, rent costs rise

By Tommy Felts / February 25, 2025

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine has closed in Johnson County after five years. Co-owner Victor Esqueda blamed rising costs — rent, ingredients and more — for the closing of the restaurant at 7305 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, near the sprawling Shamrock Trading Company campus. “Everything has increased so much — food, alcohol 20 to…

Coffee cluster percolating on one Troost block; will business support the buzz of six spaces to sip?

By Tommy Felts / February 25, 2025

A new stretch of coffee shops in the 5500 block of Troost will test the caffeine tolerance of folks seeking a fix. Six options soon fill out the menu along this bustling corridor. Blackhole Bakery, High Hopes Ice Cream and The Littlest Bake Shop currently offer coffee along with their core menu items. But Blackhole…