What do you think of when you think of Kansas City, Missouri? If it’s jazz and barbecue, you’re not alone. If it’s Taylor Swift’s new part-time home, well, you’re not in the minority, either. But there’s a whole lot more under the surface to discover in this small city with a big heart.

On a recent press trip sponsored by Visit KC (see full disclosure statement here), our team discovered a deeply kind, close-knit community that celebrates creativity and innovation, from the woman-owned, Latinx- and indigenous-owned cafe and roastery Café Corazón to the funky vintage shopping of the West Bottoms neighborhood.

Just an hour’s flight from major cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Houston, and with a totally updated airport that will make you feel like you’re in a luxe airport like Copenhagen, Kansas City is a weekend trip not-to-be-missed. Plus, it’s chock-full of some incredible woman-owned businesses that you can find on our new Woman-Owned Map.

So come on – let’s grab a Taylor Swift-themed donut from Donutology and hit the ground running!

1. Café Corazón

Westport 1721 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO

Crossroads 110 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Co-founded by Dulcinea Herrera and her mother Miel, Café Corazón offers an airy and inviting space to enjoy Latin-inspired coffee and cuisine surrounded by art and murals.

The cafe works to deeply represent its Latinx and indigenous roots, offering unique (and, frankly, to die for) latte flavors like horchata and dulce de leche, and sumptuous pastries like gorgeously toasted empanadas and giant alfajores. Much of the colorful portraits gracing the walls are painted by Dulcinea herself. Even the sweet potted plants that sit on each table are for sale, ready to be taken to a loving home.

Now with two locations and a third on the way, Café Corazón operates its own small roastery where it roasts its own coffee beans sourced from Chiapas Mexico, Varginha Brazil, and Yasica Sur Matagalpa Nicaragua.

The cafe is also proud to be one of the only cafes in the United States and the only one in the midwest to serve a wide variety of yerba mate brands from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil in the traditional way. Patrons can even purchase custom Café Corazón-branded yerba mate mugs to take home.

2. Shop Local KC

BROOKSIDE:  6245 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City, MO

CROWN CENTER:  2450 Grand Blvd, Suite 209, Kansas City, MO

If you’re looking for the holy grail of places to get a locally made souvenir that supports a small business, make sure you plan to spend at least an hour at Shop Local KC, a woman-owned boutique filled with handmade gifts and creations by over 100 local artists and makers, most of whom are women.

The shop itself has two locations, one inside the unassuming Crown Center mall and the other with a cute storefront at Brookside Plaza. Both are thoughtfully decorated with brightly colored murals and are stocked full with equally colorful accessories, jewelry, t-shirts, stickers, and more items.

Shop Local KC’s founder, Katie Mabry van Dieren, started the shop after her success with The Strawberry Swing, a local maker market that pops up at historical spaces like The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Union Station, The Wornall Majors Museum, Powell Gardens, and more. The market includes handmade and vintage vendors, food trucks, local live music, and more,and was recently featured as one of the Top 35 Indie Craft Fairs in the World by Buzzfeed.

3. CPKC Stadium

1460 E Front St, Kansas City, MO

This one’s going to blow your mind, if only because it includes one incredibly important fact: the FIRST (yes, FIRST) stadium ever built in the whole world to house a professional women’s sports team was built in The Year of Our Lord 2024 in Kansas City for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, the Kansas City Current.

Whether you’re a sports lover or not, it’s a stadium that every travel lover can get behind, featuring unique touches like thoughtfully curated menus (local pork hot dogs, anyone?), a sensory room for overstimulated children, a mother’s room stocked with diapers, and the highest number of women bartenders I’ve ever seen at a professional sports event to date.

The stadium also features a beautiful photography exhibit honoring the women of the first U.S. Women’s National Team in 1985 and, when we visited, Helzberg Diamonds was hosting a free ear piercing station.

The match lasted approximately two hours. To avoid post-game traffic woes, we highly recommend walking, biking, or taking the free game day shuttles from River Market and Downtown KC.

4 & 5. Bliss Books & Wine and BLK & BRWN

Bliss Books & Wine, 3502 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO

BLK & BRWN, 104 1/2 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO

La’Nesha Frazier and La’Nae Robinson are not just sisters – they’re also the co-owners of Bliss Books & Wine. The brightly painted shop (think hot pink and tangerine orange) features a large bar and a curated selection of reads, with lots of space for private events and even a podcasting room.

The shop hosts a number of community events, from trivia nights to book swaps and yoga classes. Plus, every month they host a book club with prepared discussion questions. A favorite feature is their used books section, which offers previously loved pages at a discount.

Want to follow your love of reading to another Black woman-owned bookshop? Check out BLK & BRWN, founded by Cori Smith, which focuses on books by Black and brown authors, offering an inclusive space for literature and community events. It also hosts a storytellers workshop, which is a six-part series of workshops celebrating the richness of black storytelling.

6, 7, 8: Fetch, The Robin’s Nest, and Ugly Glass & Co: Vintage Shops of Historic West Bottoms

Fetch, 1101 Mulberry Street, Kansas City, MO

The Robin’s Nest, 1323 W. 13th Street, Kansas City, MO

Ugly Glass & Co, 1285 Hickory Street, Kansas City, MO

If you’re looking for a funky outing, historic West Bottoms is about as local as you can get. This former meatpacking district gives Chicago West Loop vibes, and it’s filled to the brim with cool vintage shops and antique stores located inside giant brick warehouses.

Fetch is a funky boutique co-founded by best friends. It offers an eclectic range of curated goods, perfect for anyone looking for something quirky and unique. Ultra liberal meets woodsman meets vintage delights with snarky signage and accessories and, in the back, warm flannels and jackets. It’s hard to describe, but trust us, it works.

The Robin’s Nest is an antique furniture and home decor store that features the work of many women. Favorite highlights include an organ painted black and repurposed as a wine fridge with a bluetooth speaker (yup). Plus a whole section of colorful chalk paints so similarly inspired customers could go home and repurpose their own furniture.

Ugly Glass & Co takes unique pride in its weird name, and co-owners Jenny and Skip embrace the charm which hosts an impressive collection of handmade and vintage home décor. This store also features a superb craft section, with not just paints but also stencils and other materials to make your repurposing dreams come to life. Set up like a craft market, the shop features dozens of stations selling everything from candles to woven tapestries to altered paintings. (For example, adding small cartoon ghosts into found vintage paintings for some understated spooky decor.)

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9. Servaes Brewing Company

10921 Johnson Dr, Shawnee, Kansas

118 S. Second St, Atchison, Kansas

Located on the other side of Kansas City (ie, the Kansas side), Servaes Brewing Company is the place to enjoy locally crafted, unique beers that challenge the palate. It’s headed up by Courtney Servaes. She began brewing in 2012 with “a kettle, a propane burner and a few beer-loving friends.” Downtown Shawnee, KS is the location of Servaes’ impressive 6,000-square-foot brewery and taproom. They also opened a slightly smaller (yet still 5,000 sqft) taproom in Atchison, KS, about an hour north. Courtney also runs Aaron’s Craft Soda, a craft soda brand she developed with her soda-loving son.

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Bonus: Check out the Future is Female exhibit at the 21c Hotel Museum Kansas City

On display until March 2025, The Future is Female is an exhibit at 21c Museum Hotel. A powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the female experience in contemporary society. It features works by artists across diverse media, from sculpture to mixed media to painting to even neon! The exhibit takes over multiple rooms of the hotel and tackles critical issues like identity, power, gender roles, and resilience. It was curated by Museum Director Alice Gray Stites.

The collection addresses both historical and contemporary struggles, celebrating women’s achievements and illuminating ongoing battles for equality and representation. Plus, it’s free and open to the public!

For more details, visit 21c Museum Hotels.

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Supporting these woman-owned businesses contributes to the local economy. It also celebrates the innovation and dedication of women entrepreneurs who are making a mark in Kansas City. Check out these fantastic spots the next time you’re in town!