Tiki Takeover

Two new tiki bars—including one next to a new taco restaurant—are adding to the good vibes in the Kansas City area.

In the Crossroads Arts District, Kon Tiki has opened next to the popular arcade bar Up-Down. Guests will find classic Tiki drinks like the “Painkiller” and original creations like the “Pele Paloma.”

Steps away, you’ll find the new Conchita Tacos, serving up five varieties of tacos and asada fries. For now, guests can bring their tacos back over to Kon Tiki for drinks and dining, but soon, the two businesses plan to fully integrate and have tacos delivered to your table.

Across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, The Blue Palm has opened in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood with a “creepy tiki” twist. Embrace the purple walls, black ceiling and dim lighting as you enjoy a “Taro Deck” or a “Sirens Song.”

Frannie Franks

For 15 years, owner Jill McEnroe has greeted lines of hungry customers at her local farmers market stand, selling roughly 2,000 coffee cakes each week. Now her company Frannie Franks has opened its second brick-and-mortar location at the Town Center Plaza shopping district in suburban Leawood.

Frannie Franks offers its delectable coffee cakes in up to 150 flavors—like the best-selling cinnamon streusel and pumpkin crumb. Customers can find about 30 flavors at the new Leawood location.

K-Tacos & More

Two longtime restauranteurs have brought street tacos and classic Mexican dishes to downtown Parkville.

Owner Rosa Parra, who managed the nearby Stone Canyon Pizza Co. for several years, opened K-Tacos & More in September with her husband; he’s operated a Kansas City, Kansas, restaurant for over a decade.

Inside K-Tacos, you’ll find large murals celebrating Mexican culture like a Day of the Dead skull, flowers and Mexican spirit animals. The new restaurant is also inspired by the colors of the Kansas City Current, the area’s professional women’s soccer team. Parra said it’s a shoutout to women being in charge.

The street tacos are already proving to be popular, but K-Tacos also serves all-day breakfast, lunch specials like the Speedy Gonzales, and entrée plates for dinner.

Frost Frozen Bar

It might be getting colder outside, but soon you’ll be able to take a trip to the beach (in a way) without ever leaving Kansas City. Full of summertime nostalgia, Frost Frozen Bar plans to open this fall in Westport neighborhood.

Frost will specialize in frozen cocktails such as pina coladas, daiquiris and margaritas, while also serving up seasonal frozen drinks and mocktails. As for snacks, the new Westport bar will have a fresh take on those classic treats in your beach cooler.

The Incline on 9th

Back in the late 1800s, the 9th Street Incline—an elevated cable car line—ran from atop the Quality Hill neighborhood down the rocky bluffs to the West Bottoms’ freight and livestock areas.

Over a century later, that history has taken on a new style at the Incline on 9th. This new West Bottoms restaurant opened in late September and features an extensive food and drink menu, plus late-night options until midnight. Diners will find many items from local favorites like James Beard Award-winning Yoli Tortilleria, City Market Coffee and Tom’s Town Distilling Company. 

It’s also just steps away from the new Larks Entertainment space where guests can play shuffleboard both inside and outside, enjoying classic bites or have a cold drink on the patio.

Swig

“Dirty sodas” have gained popularity thanks to social media and reality TV. Now they’re coming to Kansas City. The soda shop chain Swig plans to open six locations in the area starting this fall.

Swig’s “dirty sodas” are flavored with unique syrup and cream combinations. Fan favorites include the Texas Tab (Dr. Pepper, vanilla and coconut cream), the Beach Babe (Mountain Dew, raspberry, peach and vanilla cream) or the Founder (Diet Coke, sugar-free coconut, fresh lime and coconut cream).

The chain also serves flavored energy drinks and flavored waters—or you can create your own concoction for your perfect pick-me-up.

Upcoming KC-area locations are in the works for Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and Liberty on the Missouri side, plus Mission and Overland Park, Kansas.

Triune

A former Kansas City movie theater has come back to life, now as an upscale restaurant in the Westside neighborhood. 

Most Kansas City residents associate Screenland with the historic theater in North Kansas City, but in the early 2000s, Screenland also had a small location inside a former cold storage warehouse. Now a developer is turning it into a restaurant destination. 

Triune is described as "fine casual" with a modern American fusion menu—blending Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Southern flavors into classic American meals. Enjoy dishes like Cubano sliders, coffee short ribs, roasted duck and more. 

Don't miss the weekend brunch menu or a breezy fall afternoon on the patio. 

Sido's Cuisine

You might have seen Sido's Cuisine at two popular Kansas City-area food halls. with one location at Parlor in the Crossroads and a shipping container spot at Iron District in North Kansas City. 

Now they're bringing the “best shawarma in the world” to Johnson County with their first full-scale operation in Overland Park. The owners hope to open in October. 

Customers will still be able to find favorites like gyros, kebabs, hummus and shawarma, but Sido's will also be expanding its menu, including Mediterranean barbecue.