By Brad Lucht
Dine out, Do good.
That might be the best way to describe Kansas City Restaurant Week, starting January 13 and running through January 22. Over 140 restaurants, offering cuisines from American to Vietnamese, are participating this year.
Ten percent of proceeds from all KCRW meals will benefit local charities, including BoysGrow, Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired and Cultivate Kansas City. KC Restaurant Week has donated a total of $1.4 million to nonprofit organizations since it started in 2010.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue has been participating in Restaurant Week since its inception eight years ago.
“The cause is important to us,” explains Andrew Miller, General Manager at the Martin City location, “because we are a Kansas City company. It gives back to local charities and that’s why we participate; all five of our locations are doing it.”
“It’s a great opportunity for people who don’t come to Jack Stack on a regular basis to come and try it because it is a fixed price menu,” Miller continues.
For the first time, Restaurant Week guests will choose from two price tiers of $15 and $33 available on lunch and dinner menus. With these two pricing options, each participating restaurant is able to customize a lunch and/or dinner menu that best represents its dining experience.
“A four-course meal here, appetizer, salad, entrée, dessert, is probably going to run $45 or $50 on average, and you’re going to get it for $33,” Miller explains. “You know what you’re going to spend.”
Gina Leo, General Manager at RC’s Restaurant & Lounge, welcomes the change in menu options.
“This is their first year that they’re allowing you to do a $15 for lunch and dinner,” said Leo. “For our restaurant it’s hard to sell a $33 dinner. So we are taking full advantage of that; we’re excited to see if we can sell more in the evening, because sales at lunch were great, but they kind of dropped off at dinner because people were doing regular menu items, as opposed to the $33, because it is out of their price range. So I’m excited to see how that is going to go.”
January is often a slow period in the restaurant business.
“They’re all going on diets after the New Year, and fried chicken is not at the top of the list,” Leo laughed. “I definitely think we’re busier during Restaurant Week.”
Jack Stack’s Miller agrees.
“It is a great time of year to do it. We’ve had guests call and make reservations because of Restaurant Week; it’s becoming a big deal.”
Customers are not required to mention that they are at a participating restaurant for Restaurant Week. The restaurant will provide its Restaurant Week menu to every guest when they sit at their table.
Restaurants participating in South Kansas City include:
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue 816-942-9141
13441 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO 64145
Jess & Jim’s Steak House 816-941-9499
517 E 135th St, Kansas City, MO 64145
RC’s Restaurant & Lounge 816-942-4999
330 E 135th St, Kansas City, MO 64145
Murray’s Tables & Tap 816-943-3333
12921 State Line Rd, Kansas City, MO 64145
Coach’s Bar and Grill, 816-941-2286
414 W 103rd St, Kansas City, MO
Tasso’s Greek Restaurant & Catering 816-363-4776
8411 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114
To browse menus or make reservations, visit KCRestaurantweek.com, or download the new and improved, free KCRW app for iPhone and Android. In addition, both the KCRW website and app feature a search option for special dietary restrictions such as gluten free, nut-free, vegan and vegetarian.
Leo offers this final encouragement, “I hope everybody comes out to have some good food and to give back.”
ties.