Startups, offices in path of Chiefs parade closing to party amid travel concerns

A long-awaited parade and rally celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory is set to snarl traffic across the metro Wednesday, shutting down much of the city’s downtown-to-midtown business districts — rippling across a startup community eager to join in the fanfare.

Kansas City Chiefs parade and rally route

Set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the parade is expected to draw more than a million revelers to the areas immediately surrounding and adjacent to Union Station, extending north toward downtown. The weather forecast — frigid temperatures and possible snow — further complicates Wednesday’s conditions for startups.

Especially those with workers and customers on the go. 

“We’re actually closing down operations partially due to the weather and partially due to the holiday and parade,” said Anoop Choong, co-founder of ZOHR, a Kansas City-born on-demand tire services startup. “We do lots of work in the metro and foresee a large amount of risk in operating with inclement weather and the large influx of Chiefs fans that will be home for this amazing historical event.”

ZOHR isn’t alone. Clustertruck, a delivery-only kitchen serving River Market, downtown and the Crossroads, also is among those shutting down Wednesday. 

“Kansas City has waited 50 years for the boys in red to bring the trophy back home to this beautiful city,” said Clustertruck, announcing its customers would have to wait another day for the business’s restaurant-quality meals.

Click here to check out the planned parade route.

With schools on both sides of the state line closing, many offices and businesses also are expected to shutter for the day. Those along the planned parade route, which drives through densely-packed startup havens, are among companies most impacted because of travel and safety concerns.

Plexpod announced Tuesday that its coworking and office locations across the metro — Westport Commons, River Market, Crossroads, and Lenexa — would shut down on Wednesday, reopening Thursday.

“It’s safe to say we earned our right to party!” Plexpod said in a release. “As Plexpod members’ property and personal safety is our utmost importance, doors at all locations will remain locked [Wednesday] with access only for 24/7 memberships.”

TEDxKC announced Monday it’s returning speaker conference — originally set for Wednesday at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts — would be rescheduled. Click here to learn more about the new date and plan.