Latest Stories

River Market’s iconic ‘Trolley Tom’ reopening with grab-and-go deli menu, specialty cocktails

A new grab-and-go eatery is rolling into River Market, filling a hole left when Donutology shuttered operations inside “Trolley Tom” — the circa 1947 Kansas City streetcar permanently parked at 426 Delaware in the popular retail and entertainment district. Car No. 551 is scheduled to open by mid-September with deli offerings and and drinks by…

KC on top: Hat maker’s best-seller spotted on ‘GMA,’ ‘Ted Lasso’ as brand shapes its national profile

Sandlot Goods wears the spotlight well, said Thomas McIntyre, noting each high-profile media close up of its signature dad hat is another step toward establishing Kansas City’s only hat manufacturer as a national brand. After being featured on the “Made In America Christmas” segment of ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, Sandlot was again…

Rooftop Cinema Club premieres its open-air movie theater experience in KC’s Crossroads

Pink dusk views of the Kansas horizon and a cityscape bathed in sunset only added to the silver screen experience for midweek movie-goers trying out the newly opened Rooftop Cinema Club in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. “Just the ambiance and what they did with the design is really cute,” said Emily Hendricks of Kansas…

Kauffman targets $250K grant toward vacant storefront revitalization as World Cup looms

Funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is expected to help Kansas City prepare for an influx of visitors cheering on competitors at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — activating vacant storefronts in key areas with retail, artist, and community-focused pop-ups, city leaders said this week. The KCMO-centered initiative — first announced in June and patterned…

How these KC pitmasters are smoking barbecue’s gender stereotypes

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Veronica Scroggins of Scott’s Kitchen is the latest on a short list of…

EDCKC touts leaders building Kansas City’s workforce of tomorrow

Across the country, cities are competing not only for jobs, but for people. In Kansas City, the future of economic growth depends on how well we prepare our residents to thrive in a rapidly evolving labor market. Workforce development isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the engine behind community resilience, economic mobility, and shared prosperity. At the center of…

Pilot competition taps drugless mental health solution for latest tech-infused cohort

A Kansas City-connected startup that helps users see their feelings with its drugless biofeedback/neurofeedback technologies is among 10 companies selected for the latest pilot cohort from NXTUS in Wichita. Finalists for the 2025 NXTSTAGE Community Health & Vibrancy Pilot Competition were announced Wednesday, including Columbia, Missouri-based Healium, which offers tech-driven mental wellness products that quickly…

Café Corazón sold KC on her alfajores and empanadas; now meet the Argentine chef behind these legendary, handcrafted treats 

In a space that serves as a crossroads of identities, trays of Silvia Miguel’s now-iconic savory and sweet dishes find a welcome home alongside bold pieces of art, sips of coffee and wares from a vibrant community of Latin and Indigenous entrepreneurs. Miel Castagna-Herrera, co-founder of Café Corazón, started carrying Miguel’s Pan Caliente products soon…

LISTEN: How this musician-turned-startup veteran is scaling with a Kansas assist

Startland News opens its new Plug and Play Topeka founder podcast series with a startup that’s making recovery easier — one pup at a time. Meet Medipups, a company combining canine compassion with real innovation in animal health, and its co-founder Sebastian Doyle. Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo…

Kansas company beefs up natural qualities of meat, tallow with tech, not enhancements

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  WAKEENEY, Kan. — Plainview Beef is more than just a name for the western Kansas direct-to-consumer company, CEO Gabe Orr shared. It’s a nod to a mission rooted as much in…