This KC sausage maker serves one of America’s best vegan hot dogs; the PETA-approved menu item wasn’t an afterthought or gimmick, its owners say 

Wiener Kitchen has always been a community-driven venture, said Jessica Rush, which includes providing options for all members of the community — meat eater or not. “We started at a farmers’ market, and I felt really strongly about having a vegetarian and vegan option. A lot of people go to the farmers’ market because they…

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Wiener Kitchen’s chef-driven, artisan eats: This time you’ll actually want to see how the sausage is made

The grill hasn’t gone cold for Overland Park-stuffed Wiener Kitchen, said Dave Derr, recalling his unexpectedly packed experience as a restauranteur amid a pandemic season squeezing many small businesses.  “We’ve had more revenue at our store than pre-COVID, which is absolutely nuts,” he chuckled in near disbelief. Consumer habits rapidly changed during the onset of…

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Socially reduced crowds a ‘really tough blow’ to vendors as markets balance safety, survival

Crowds reduced by COVID-19 precautions and confusion over what’s actually open have yielded dramatically reduced revenue for vendors who rely on Kansas City’s farmers markets, craft fairs and other public events. “To go eight years doing something and then suddenly you’re straight-up 50-60 percent of [the revenue], that’s a really tough blow,” said Dave Derr,…

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