KC Restaurant Festival 2025 takeaways range from hopeful to ominous for our metro’s food future

Beverly’s team at KC Restaurant Festival // Photo by Sarah Sipple

How are the restaurant industry folks holding up? What’s the outlook from the inside regarding the next few years in Kansas City?

While it seems like a new restaurant or bar is opening every week, closures aren’t too far behind, and we frequently have a national spotlight on us for good reasons like concerts and sports (hello, World Cup!), but what about tariffs, ICE raids, social media, and inflation? 

There’s one occasion each year where everyone from restaurant owners to 3 a.m. bakers to culinary students gather together on a Wednesday afternoon… and I take it as an opportunity to catch up en masse. Here’s how things are shaping up:

Photo By Sarah Sipple

The fifth annual Kansas City Restaurant Festival, aimed at connecting and celebrating folks in the restaurant industry, was held on October 8, 2025, at Children’s Mercy Park. The free event is put on by Scavuzzo’s Foodservice Company and Liberty Fresh. Restaurant staff are able to meet suppliers for everything from condiments to POS systems, and local microgreens to industry-specific insurance. In addition to those tables and tents, attendees sample food and drink, learn from live demos, and have a chance to win prizes. This is also the time when community-nominated Restaurant Warriors are awarded $1,000 “tip-out” prizes. 

The collective energy was high at this year’s festival, as everything about the presentation—prizes, samples, intricate displays—was noticeably elevated from previous years. Yet this dialed-up volume almost masked a larger issue. 

Attendees displayed a hint of trepidation in answering my questions this year, either about themselves or the restaurant industry at large. The crowd at the previous KCRFs I’ve covered also included more people with whom our only common language was the food itself. That diversity of representation created a gap that became increasingly noticeable, even as the vibrance of presentation had been maxed out.

As political threats and a chilling effect have spread across the country, heightening in recent months and increasingly right here at home, the spectrum of our best and brightest culinary figures was undeniably limited in response.

For those who were there, the attitude was mostly positive and hopeful beyond concerns about rising food costs and immigration. With a particular excitement about the attention promised by the World Cup next year, KC restaurant representatives are happy to still be riding what feels like an upward swing of the city. 

As in previous years, when asked what the best part of their jobs was, restaurant workers continue to point to people. People include close camaraderie with coworkers or the fact that their job is social by nature. As diners and patrons, our focus frequently stops at food and atmosphere/decor, but hospitality is an equally important third element. The art of taking care of people, no matter what your own day or life holds, is an incredible skill that most customers take for granted. Concepts like creativity and legacy were also mentioned as favorite parts of the work. 

This may be the very reminder that we, as diners and shoppers and drinkers, need to hear time and time again: The humanity behind the massive, yet frequently unnoticed and underappreciated, system that feeds us. 

Here are some additional responses to my questions:

How are you and your peers feeling about the next few years of hospitality and food in KC, particularly around inflation, the World Cup, immigration, restaurant openings and closures, etc?

“Honestly, I feel like Kansas City’s on the edge of something big. With the World Cup coming, there’s going to be a lot more eyes on the city, which means more opportunities for local spots to shine if we’re ready for it. At the same time, I think it’s gonna challenge us to step our game up–from food quality to service, to how we represent the culture of KC as a whole. I see a lot of potential, but also a need for collaboration and creativity to really capitalize on the moment.” -Guroux Khalifah, Owner of District Biskuits and Howlin’ Fowls in North Kansas City

“I feel like there’s so much going on right now, especially with the World Cup coming up–it’s probably going to be a big boon that we’ve all needed at some point. It’s exciting–we don’t really know what’s going to happen until it happens.” -Mason from Beverly’s in Strawberry Hill

Photo by Sarah Sipple

“For us specifically, we’re excited to be joining a scene that could use more food options, in Strawberry Hill.” -Melanie from Beverly’s in Strawberry Hill

“As people’s incomes are changing, there’s a shift in people deciding where they’re eating. We (MyCo) have little competition when it comes to our organic mushrooms, but fewer places are looking for organic mushrooms. Individuals are starting to think more about where they spend their money, but organic isn’t necessarily the first cut to be made–many are still prioritizing longevity and sustainability.” -River, from MyCo Planet in North Kansas City

“I try to stay away from the politics conversation, but we’re growing our company right now so we’re focused on what we’re doing and how we can better the food scene in Kansas City. The city approached us to fill up some space on Main Street, so we’ve partnered with Guy’s Snacks to open a traditional southern bodega, Guy’s on Main. You’ll be able to grab milk and produce, but also get coffee and a scoop of ice cream, or a BEC to go in the morning.” –Brittany Socha Gilmore, Co-Owner of Lula Southern Cookhouse in Kansas City

“Everything is about Facebook, about how food looks. That’s the big chatter. Everybody takes a picture now. It doesn’t change a lot, it just means that when you finish the plate, you have to add a little decoration, because I like to have a pretty plate anyway.” -Willa, from Reflections Kitchen & Kocktails in Kansas City

“Right now, uncertainty with the political climate and the cost of food. We have no idea what the hell is going to happen.” -Jonathan from Mom’s Kitchen in Olathe

“In terms of the food scene, it’s good and healthy, but definitely, there is a concern about immigration and how it is affecting the restaurant industry. Also a concern for food prices that have been rising, which is forcing restaurants to adjust hours or bring costs down.” -David Kirchhoff, Executive Chef at Kitch Meals in Prairie Village

City Bitty Farm // Photo by Sarah Sipple

What is a prominent challenge you’re seeing or experiencing in the industry right now?

“Staffing and consistency. It’s hard to find people who truly want to grow in this industry, not just clock in and out. Plus, with food costs, inflation, and how fast trends move, it takes a lot to stay balanced–creatively, financially, and mentally. The margins are tight, and a lot of people don’t realize how much it takes behind the scenes just to keep a restaurant running smoothly.” -Guroux Khalifah, Owner of District Biskuits and Howlin’ Fowls in North Kansas City

“With restaurants in general, because of apps like DoorDash, we’re not seeing as many people come in. And that leads to staffing issues.” -Mason and Melanie from Beverly’s  in Strawberry Hill

“Employment–keeping good people, coming to work on time, getting a good cook. We have a school and we try to get some of our chefs, cooks, waiters from there, and they know exactly what they’re doing.” -Willa, from Reflections Kitchen & Kocktails in Kansas City

“My customer base is dying off and we don’t have young people replacing them.” -Jonathan from Mom’s Kitchen in Olathe

“One of our predominant challenges in the food industry will always be food cost, and trying to find balance. You’re a local business and you want to survive without cutting costs that affect the integrity of what you want to provide your guests.”  -Cassidy Garr, Director of Sales Growth and Marketing at McLain’s 

Photo by Sarah Sipple

What is the best part of your job?

“I love working the farmers’ market each weekend! I’m at Brookside. I get to have conversations and show off my weird mushrooms.” -River, from MyCo Planet in North Kansas City

“I don’t want to sound cheesy and say the people, but the people are good. But for me, as a mom, helping build a legacy that my kids can be proud of, that’s it for me.” -Brittany Socha Gilmore, Co-Owner of Lula Southern Cookhouse in Kansas City

“Meeting and talking to people. I’m extroverted… I was a flight attendant for 30 years before this.” -Willa, from Reflections Kitchen & Kocktails in Kansas City

“Compliments… ‘the food is good, I’ll come back tomorrow’!” -Jonathan from Mom’s Kitchen in Olathe

“The people! I get to work with the most kind, fun, energetic, and creative people every single day who love what they do and love the city. It is a very fun thing to work at McLain’s, and I feel very thankful.” -Cassidy Garr, Director of Sales Growth and Marketing at McLain’s 

“Objectively, it’s the people. I’m blessed with a fantastic staff… literally, I have zero turnover. I’ve had some staff with me for years. I’ve been through the old school restaurant and chef cycle of bad work culture, bad pay, bad hours, so when I started at Kitch, I decided I wasn’t going to continue that. I’ve developed a really good work culture where people are happy to come to work and get along, including monthly one-on-one meetings for development.” -David Kirchhoff, Executive Chef at Kitch Meals in Prairie Village