Why so many brewery closures? + Pie pop-up goes big

Welcome back to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City. I’m Alison Booth, the assistant audience service editor here at The Star.

We’re taking a closer look at why more breweries have closed than opened in the metro this year, and how the “challenging market” is shifting.

Plus, a pie shop beloved by Andy Reid is opening a brick and mortar, and a KC coffee chain is closing all of its locations after a lawsuit and recent financial struggles.

Let’s dig in.

Why are so many breweries closing?

The doors are locked to the rectangular brick building in the Crossroads.

They have been since March, when Double Shift Brewing Co. — situated in an area dubbed Brewer’s Alley — said goodbye to its fans of 10 years and filled its last chalice. Its departure left a hole in the beer-loving block and saddened longtime customers.

But unfortunately for the local craft brewing industry, it wouldn’t be the last closure in the metro. Pathlight in Shawnee, Crane in Raytown, Boho in Parkville, The Big Rip in North Kansas City and Dubious Claims in Excelsior Springs have all shut down this year. Grains & Taps has closed its downtown Lee’s Summit tasting room, though it still remains open on Blue Parkway.

Not a catastrophic amount of businesses, but unusual enough to catch the attention of beer drinkers and brewery operators. Many breweries that remain also told us that 2025 saw lower beer sales than years past.

So are the closures a temporary blip or a sign of a shifting industry? My colleague Jenna Thompson talked to several local brewers around town to get a bigger picture.

What’s new?

A local pie shop that’s been selling its recipes at local farmers markets and grocery stores around the nation since 2020 is finally opening a brick and mortar.

MO Pies is also a favorite of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, according to founder Curt Lafferty, who said he fields orders a few times a year from the Reid family — especially for their caramel apple recipe.

Lafferty is opening a holiday pop-up location in Johnson County, and is already taking orders for Thanksgiving. If all goes well, the spot will be permanent next summer.

And he doesn’t want to stop there, with eyes on around four other spots around the metro.

À la carte

✴️ After a lawsuit over a sex-abuse scandal from a religious group, this KC coffee shop chain is closing its last two locations. Its last day is today (and yes, I am writing this while sitting inside as a final farewell).

✴️ That’s not the only sentimental closure around town: This Carrabba’s location is closing after 23 years. My dad managed the spot for the first 10 years of my life, and some of my earliest memories are of watching pizza dough get made and peeking over their bar counters.

✴️ Do you think 1587 Prime is too pricey? After some viral social media posts about the luxury, we compared their menu prices to other KC steakhouses.

✴️ Overland Park has a new sushi and ramen spot. The head chef worked as a ramen chef in Japan for 10 years before slinging ramen here.

✴️ Is the country’s best KC-style barbecue in … California? Well, that’s what readers of USA Today say. But hey, the spot is run by a KC native — and several local joints also made the list.

Hungry for more?

• Check out all the restaurants we’ve covered in our Let’s Dish series here.
• Looking for the latest industry news? Here’s what spots have opened and closed in the KC area lately.
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Happy eating! We’ll see you next week.

This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Why so many brewery closures? + Pie pop-up goes big."