By Kathy Feist
Martin City Brewing Company will be one of 40 local vendors featured at the future Kansas City International Airport.
On October 7th, the City Council approved Vantage Airport Group to oversee concessions at the KCI terminal. Vantage Group’s proposal included 40 different local bars, restaurants and shops including Martin City Brewery, Bo LIngs Chinese Restaurant, Stockyards Brewing, Made In KC Marketplace, Parisi Coffee, City Market, 18th & Vine eateries, and a variety of barbecue operators. (See complete list below.)
“We are excited to be part of the package,” said Matt Moore.
Vantage Group was one of four other proposers vying for the airport’s 15-year, $1.5 billion contract. Those included Delaware North, Greater Kansas City Restaurant & Retail Group, MERA KC, and PLTR-SSP@KCI LLC.
Moore shares that Vantage wasn’t the only group that chose Martin City Brewing Co. for their proposal.
“I think we were approached because we are a big expanding local brand that would be an asset,” says Moore.
In the past few years, Martin City Brewing Co. has expanded its Martin City Pizza + Taps restaurant into Mission Farms in Leawood and in Lee’s Summit. A possible third location in Lenexa is in the works. The airport location, which will open to travelers in 18 months, will be its fourth.
Moore says the KCI restaurant should have no problem serving its full menu and signature beers. “Any kitchen they put in there is better than our current smallest,” he quips, referring to its closet-sized Martin City location.
When completed, 80 percent of the eating and shopping experiences at KCI will be local, organized by regionally inspired Kansas City neighborhood zones, including City Market, 18th & Vine, Stockyards, Union Station & Downtown, and Brookside.
Community, cultural and media partnerships will further the unique experience at the airport, with partners including The Call Newspaper, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Turn the Page KC, and the American Jazz Museum incorporated into the concession offerings.
Vantage Airport Group Commercial Development Director Rob van Snik stated, “Our commitment to providing opportunities for local small businesses, inclusion of beloved local brands, minority-owned involvement at every level of the project, and strong partnership with local labor unions will help ensure we deliver a concession program that creates a true sense of place here in Kansas City – one we hope that travelers and local Kansas Citians alike will embrace.”
With nearly 50 eating and shopping experiences, the Vantage program will offer the Kansas City region’s flavors, culture, and makers, along with beloved global brands.
Food & Beverage
- Auntie Anne’s
- The Bite
- Bloom Baking Co.
- Bo Lings
- Boulevard Brewing Company Beer Hall Brown & Loe
- Buffalo State Pizza Co.
- BBQ Experience:
- BBQ Tasting Bar
- Old World Spices
- The BBQ Spot
- Stockyard Brewing
- BBQ To Go
- Cinnabon
- City Market Coffee Roasters
- Dunkin’
- Grapes & Grains
- Guy’s Pub & Deli Express
- Hearth Locavore Kitchen
- The Hungry Hatch
- Jay “Hootie” McShann’s Blues Bar
- The Leagues
- The Martin City Brewing Co.
- Mother Earth Coffee
- Parisi Café
- Poío
- Safi Fresh
- Smoothie King
- Soiree Steak & Oyster House
- The Stockyard Brewery
- Taste of Brazil
- Tay’s Burger Shack
- Thou M∗ayest Coffee
- Urban Café
- PigWich
Shopping & Services
- &Go
- Brookside Local
- City Market Food Hall
- Director’s Cut 2
- Heartland Convenience Market
- InMotion
- Johnston & Murphy
- Kansas City The Call
- Lego
- Made in Kansas City Marketplace
- The Market at 18th & Vine
- The Pitch
- Swyft
- Turn the Page KC
∗ Locations are subject to change and subject to final approval by Kansas City Aviation Department.