No risk, no reward: Adding three new stores is more than just boss moves for Isaac Lee Collins; it’s betting his livelihood on going big

By Tommy Felts | March 6, 2025

Kansas City’s frozen yogurt game is getting a major upgrade as Fifth & Emery Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate prepares to open three new locations in Zona Rosa, Olathe, and Lenexa this year. “I didn’t work this hard just to stop here,” said founder Isaac Lee Collins, who previously operated the venture as a handful of…

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Rooftop Austin’s Bar & Grill just one step in unlocking Olathe’s ‘downtown renaissance’

By Tommy Felts | February 24, 2025

A century-old building in downtown Olathe will get new life as an indoor/outdoor restaurant complex known as County Square Commons — anchored by the popular Austin’s Bar & Grill. LANE4 Property Group and Austin’s are redeveloping the 10,859-square-foot building, which is expected to feature four or five storefronts on the street level at 114 to 126…

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At least 9 storefronts hit in overnight crime spree; entrepreneurs want to shatter idea it’s a Troost-only problem

By Tommy Felts | August 9, 2024

Break-ins point to challenge beyond Kansas City’s east side, say small business owners A recent mini crime wave — stretching from the Crossroads Arts District to Troost Avenue and Brookside — mirrors a series of break-ins and vandalism incidents at the Country Club Plaza and beyond, business owners said, reflecting a citywide danger that demands…

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Plaza retailers concerned for employee safety after recent shootings, upticks in thefts, harassment at iconic KC shopping district

By Tommy Felts | September 8, 2023

No business owner should have to deal with ongoing incidents that threaten the safety of their employees and customers, Tyler Enders shared, but that’s the reality for some entrepreneurs on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Employees at Made in KC’s marketplace location on the Plaza were closing up for the night Sept. 2 — the…

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