Kansas City’s new airport is set to open February 28, and when it does, passengers who touch down there will have a chance to sample KC culture and food on their way through the terminal.
Two of the concourses will be named for long-standing Kansas City landmarks, City Market and the 18th and Vine district.
And local entrepreneurs – including some who have benefited from partnerships with or grants from LISC Kansas City – will be part of the landscape in the new terminal. In fact, members of the LISC KC team recently took a tour of the new airport and were impressed with its amenities, features and businesses.
Soiree Steak and Oyster House is one of those businesses. The restaurant, which bills its cuisine as “Southern inspired handcrafted,” is located in the 18th and Vine district of Kansas City.
Soiree benefited from LISC’s COVID-19 grant program, said Daniel Serda, KC-CUR project manager for LISC.
Urban Café is another business that will have a prime spot at the new airport. When Serda first came to LISC five years ago, he would hold office hours at the café, meeting with community residents to talk about their concerns.
In addition, Urban Café has participated in the Thrive community development celebration.
“Urban Café has always been a strong partner with LISC,” Serda said.
Another vendor that will have a prime location in the new terminal is the Kansas City Call, one of the longest-running African American newspapers in the country.
These new areas are prominent in the design of the airport, which means that local entrepreneurs will benefit from money spent by people passing through Kansas City.
It’s an unusual approach, as some airports use a single national vendor to manage all of their concessions, Serda said.
“Anyone going through the airport is going to go past all of these places. They’re very central,” Serda said. “For actual local entrepreneurs to have their venues represented, again in a facility that people often don’t think about or necessarily expect local businesses to be present, I think is an incredible marketing opportunity, an incredible level of exposure for these businesses.”