Historic KC streetcar to be converted into new deli with barbecue, cocktails
Kansas City’s 1940s streetcar in the River Market will soon become a deli and grab-and-go restaurant.
The new spot — called Car No. 551 — will move into the “Trolley Tom” car at 426 Delaware St.
Owner William Jordan will serve grab-and-go deli sandwiches, as well as hot barbecue meals like smoked meats courtesy of Peter May’s House of Kielbasa, brisket and pulled pork.
Jordan, who owns catering company Tasty Unicorn, will offer some desserts at the shop, like ooey gooey butter cake. He promised not to go “too crazy” on desserts, with ice cream shop Betty Rae’s next door at 412 Delaware St.
The spot will have about 12 to 15 seats inside. An additional 20 to 30 will sit outside — he’s especially excited about that part.
“Seeing this patio full is just gonna be awesome,” Jordan said. “You should have people who wanna sit here on the patio and enjoy their time.”
A new vision for the River Market
Jordan also owns printing company Fountain City Printing and helped update the outer wrap on the trolley a few months ago. During that time, the property owner told him the space’s lease would be up soon.
That’s when the two began brainstorming ideas for what could come next, and Jordan thought a quick but quality restaurant would make for the perfect option on the busy River Market corner.
“I’ve always been really drawn to the trolley to begin with, so we started throwing out some ideas,” he said. “Here we are.”
Westport’s Donutology moved out of the space at the end of July after two years there.
Jordan’s turnaround is fairly quick, with a projected opening date coming sometime in September.
“I didn’t want it to have a chance to sit here and just be empty,” he said.
While he’s still ironing out some of the exact menu items, cocktails and other signature drinks will be part of the concept.
He’s adding a few kegs to the trolley, with plans to run Oktoberfest specials. Come Christmas time, he plans to host a Christmas pop-up in the space.
Customers can order sealed drinks to go or enjoy their alcoholic beverages in the trolley or on the patio.
Jordan is teaming up with teammates Ashley Adams and Hayley O’Connor, a longtime corporate employee with Outback Steakhouse, to make Car No. 551 a reality.
“I think this corner needs to be brought back to life,” he said. “It’ll be a nice feeling because we’re surrounded by so many great other tenants here, but this will be the icing on the cake.”
Meanwhile, two new restaurants are on the way to the City Market area. Sushi Nami and The Paella Mix are on the way, according to officials with the market. Their opening dates weren’t immediately available Tuesday afternoon.