These 20 Kansas City restaurants plan to expand outdoor dining with funds from the city
Kansas City announced Tuesday the recipients of a $200,000 pilot program aimed at helping local restaurants upgrade and expand their outside seating.
“Each of the Outdoor Dining Enhancement Grant Program recipients have exceptional plans to build or enhance their outdoor dining spaces,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who sponsored the program with 2nd District Councilman Wes Rogers.
Lucas added that he hopes the grants will help with “growing our vibrant restaurant scene, preparing us for the global spotlight of the 2026 World Cup.”
The grants are funded through the city’s 2024-25 tourism budget. More than 120 applications were submitted, and 20 received funds. The city’s Public Works department performed a technical review of the applicants’ businesses to ensure they were in compliance with permitting and safety requirements.
The restaurants chosen each received somewhere between $8,000 and $15,000. The full list includes:
▪ Cupini’s
▪ OurHouseKC
▪ The Combine
▪ Nick and Nino’s Pub
▪ Urban
▪ Oddly Correct
▪ Cafe Ollama
▪ Buffalo State Pizza Co
▪ PH Coffee
▪ Browne’s Irish Marketplace
▪ Novel Restaurant
▪ Grand Street Café
▪ Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop
▪ Double Tap KC
▪ The Brick
▪ Kobi Q
▪ Vye Cocktail Lounge
▪ Grinders
▪ Tacos El Gallo
▪ Blip Roasters
Alan Kneeland, who owns The Combine and is the president of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, said he plans to upgrade The Combine’s rooftop space and explore the possibility of seating along Troost Avenue.
“We’ll also need additional licensing and permits for that, so we may use some of the funds toward those costs,” Kneeland said.
Kerry Browne of Browne’s Irish Marketplace said they would invest in lighting, seating, restroom access and heaters.
“During COVID, we started utilizing a space behind the store where we had musicians playing outside,” she said. “This will let us tweak that space in a way where we can host more weddings and private events and parties out there year-round.
“We feel very fortunate to get it,” Browne added. “It’s nice when you’re a small business and you feel like the city is behind you.”
The city previously said it hopes to extend the program beyond 2024 and take applications year-round. More information can be found at kcmo.gov/programs-initiatives/dining-outdoor-enhancement-program.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
