Owners of the award-winning Bar K dog bar — a popular destination for four-legged Kansas Citians and their friends — announced its closure Tuesday, after nearly a decade in business that saw the concept expand to St. Louis and Oklahoma City before suddenly shuttering all operations.

When Wes Elder and Caleb Vetter launched CreatorSpace more than a year ago, they set out to carve their own path through the blended world of entertainment and technology, Elder shared. Now their startup — what they bill as the world’s first creator marketplace — is taking a new turn.

A prestigious — and relatively new-to-Kansas City — resource for high-net-worth C-suite leaders and successful entrepreneurs and founders is expanding: Tiger 21, a premier peer membership organization for ultra-wealth creators and preservers, is adding a second group.

Startland News is showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through the newsroom’s first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, Matchless Cabinet — a direct-to-consumer modular aluminum cabinetry company.

Startland News is showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through the newsroom’s first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, Deposit the Work — a group fitness and private training company.

The Culinary Center of Kansas City plans a late 2025 or an early 2026 opening in the former Ombra small plates + librations spot in The Village at Briarcliff, 4161 N. Mulberry St. in the Northland. The space will be remodeled.

Local artists can have a hand in creating public art to accompany a planned skate park between River Market and the West Bottoms; Riders in the area hope the site becomes a hub for the local skateboarding community.

Startland News is showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through the newsroom’s first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, Chick-in-waffle.

A pair of high-profile projects at 18th and Vine offer just a few notes from a chorus of just-funded redevelopment initiatives aimed at buoying small business and tackling challenges in Kansas City’s urban core.

Startland News is continuing its long-running “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others.

The latest crop of Digital Sandbox KC companies — earning up to $20,000 in project funding for their concepts — are poised to make significant impacts within their industries, said Jill Meyer, noting a through-line from digital health to AI-powered construction and fantasy sports solutions.

We're showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through our first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, Someday Sunday — a natural, vegan, cruelty-free, and nut-free body care brand.

An immersive experience set in a post-apocalyptic world — the brainchild of Kansas City artist and designer Keyon Monte — transforms an iconic Shakespearean tragedy into a warped, high-fashion human drama staged within a downtown coworking space.

Throughout his career as a car salesman and mortgage broker, Brad Staples felt a calling toward entrepreneurship, he said. And when those industries ran dry, the Missouri native realized it was time to try on a familiar hat: running a family business.

In June, a Matchless Cabinet set was featured on the iconic daytime game show “The Price is Right.” The company reports continued growth, expanding recently into Canada with interest from as far away as Europe and Australia.

Risk-takers set the story of the United States of America in motion, said Victor W. Hwang, lamenting a modern day reality where needless barriers too often work against entrepreneurs and young businesses.

“This is such a big jump up for us,” said Atit Patel, describing the journey to Cosmo Burger’s newly opened location at 1815 Locust St. “This space is more than doubling our total square footage. So a lot to digest.”

For Brandon Haggard, returning to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC) wasn’t just a career decision. It was a commitment — to impact, Kansas City, and building a future worth staying for, he said.

Dontavious Young is betting on the next generation, he said. As founder of Equal Minded Café and the Big Ideas Foundation, Young is creating space for high school students to build businesses, find purpose, and take ownership of their futures.

Dos Lokos Sports Cantina plans a September opening at 401 Westport Road (the former Fountain Haus). The owners — who couldn’t stop smiling Thursday — celebrated by popping champagne outside as curious bystanders looked on.

Overland Park-based CarePilot recently announced a $2.5 million seed round led by coastal investor Mucker Capital. The round also notably included investment from KCRise Fund, which touted founder Tutera’s impressive understanding of how to build a tech enterprise.

The menu at 1116 Grand Blvd. — the former KC Daiquiri Shop — includes such loaded baked potato options as The Brisket with hot or cold cheese, sauteed onions and a choice of sauce; and the chicken with butter, cheese, pico de gallo, sauteed onions, sour cream, green onions and parsley.

A side quest for $5 burger baskets and cheap beers has matured into a tech platform built to help a wide range of users easily discover local deals, said Blake Coffee, noting his startup deepens small businesses’ engagement with their communities.

The acquisition of Kansas City-built Athlete Network — a platform designed to foster lifelong connections between student-athletes and athletic alumni — deepens the startup’s work a decade after it launched, its founder said.

This University of Kansas and University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate started Greenhouse Print Space, a place where he can hone his printing skills, as well as create the artistic community he craves.

Keisha Jordan didn’t know what saying “yes” to a job in Kansas City would unlock when she first relocated in 2020, she said, reflecting on a full-circle moment Tuesday after winning a top arts honor from the KC Chamber during its celebration of small business and entrepreneurs.

Alice Scooper’s Ice Cream Co. is set to debut next week in The Village at Briarcliff, 4173 N. Mulberry Dr. The shop first broke onto the scene about 18 months ago in Liberty.

During the next three years, grantees are expected to deliver high-impact research focused on increasing economic opportunity.

The St. Louis-based Missouri Foundation for Health this month announced its inaugural Spark Prize winners, which included a $200,000 award for Emily Brown, who launched what is now Attane Health in 2021.

A decades-long effort to grow inclusive entrepreneurial communities by strengthening access to critical resources began as a grassroots movement in Kansas City, said Maria Meyers, whose work recently earned her global recognition — and a rare honor in recent years for an American recipient.

A streamlined brand identity for one of the Midwest’s most influential engineering firms positions “T&B” as one of the secret weapons behind the evolution of Kansas City, the company announced, just moments after earning a top small business award from the KC Chamber.

Winning the Emerging Small Business Award is validation that Vine Street Brewing Co. — Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery — is tapped into what the community wants and needs, two of its owners said Tuesday.

“This award is a reflection of our entire staff’s compassion, dedication, and belief in the power of healing,” said Amber Reed, founder of Resolve Counseling & Wellness, accepting the coveted “Mr. K” award in front of a packed crowd and Top 10 small business finalists.

Organizers are welcoming a wide range of session ideas, from solo talks and expert panels to hands-on workshops, networking events, site visits and more. www.startlandnews.com/2025/06/gewk...

The National League of Cities (NLC) this week awarded Kansas City a $20,000 grant and expert guidance to promote economic mobility in the city ahead of the unprecedented, 40-day sports event that is expected to bring 650,000 professional soccer fans to the region.

Kansas City-based C2FO funded $18 billion through its global working capital platform to businesses worldwide during the first quarter of 2025, the company reported Thursday, including $3.2 billion to companies in developing nations.

The breakfast-famous Tim Hortons is expected to become a more prominent player across the Kansas City landscape in coming years, as franchisee Hossam Shahin pursues plans to open five area locations a year for six years.

Nate Thomas saw something others didn’t in the near-windowless former Masonic lodge and one-time Christian school in southern Jackson County, he said. The Missouri father-of-two envisioned a gathering place with handcrafted coffee and holistic care under one roof.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently rescinded $85,000 in funding for Art as Mentorship and its Celebrate AMERI’KANA Music and Arts Festival. Both the nonprofit and event work to amplify young musicians from underrepresented communities.

When the Parade of Hearts returns in April 2026, as many as 150 pieces of Kansas City’s story will be scattered across the metro — offering a summer-long scavenger hunt of the region’s identity for hometown fans and World Cup revelers alike.

A city-led and funded effort to fill vacant storefronts in downtown Kansas City ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is still taking shape, officials said this week, noting that crafting the infrastructure for the program alongside private property owners is expected to extend through the summer.

Described as a “global lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality platform” — think caviar martinis, A5 Wagyu dumplings, VIP lounges, premium bottle service, DJs and open-air rooftop — Palm Tree Club Kansas City plans a fall opening in the Power & Light District.

The importance of regional partnerships was at the forefront Thursday during Plug and Play Topeka’s highly anticipated Expo Day.

Link Innovation Labs is designed to help startups move from early ideas to market-ready solutions. Set to open in January 2026, the 18,000-square-foot space at 220 SE 6th St. is expected to feature wet and dry labs, co-working areas, conference rooms, offices, and a coffee shop.

The newly unveiled RS Impact Exchange — built within the renovated, 1920-built Baker Shoe Building at 3108-3116 Troost Ave. — serves as a community-centered retail hub, playing host to local merchants and service providers.

A bright yellow, nearly 150-year-old former Italian restaurant could become Kansas City’s go-to seafood destination with help from the world-renowned hometown culinary team behind Justus Drugstore and Black Dirt.

By late summer or early fall, Topeka-based Trident Homes plans to be printing full-scale homes directly on lots and larger land parcels across eastern Kansas — bringing to market an option that’s faster to build and significantly more affordable than traditional homes.

With cameras rolling and spotlights shining, Kansas City is positioning itself as one of the Midwest’s most attractive film destinations, said Rachel Kephart, noting reinvigorated support from city hall and an effective mix of local and state incentives.

Two longtime friends and their daughters — all seasoned restaurant workers — are joining together in a new East Brookside restaurant they can call their own.

Easy access to life-saving naloxone (better known by the brand name Narcan) could’ve prevented the fatal overdose of Danielle Wilder’s close friend. Such helpless moments inspired her and her fiance to create a carrying case that puts it within reach at the worst moments.