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What changes in KC when the drinking slows

At least six Kansas City area breweries have closed since early last year, and owners say the bigger loss is the gathering space.

News

Kansas City has lost several breweries, bars and pubs in recent years, leaving fewer places for socialization. Why it matters: Americans are drinking less for good reasons, but bars and taprooms do more than just pour booze — they provide places to gather without a plan.

What Kansas City gets in the Royals stadium deal

City council approved agreements on community benefits, construction and financing.

The Royals&#x27; downtown stadium is another step closer after City Council on Thursday approved a package of agreements on community benefits, construction and financing. Why it matters: Public documents shed light on what the Royals are promising the city, including funds to address homelessness and benefit public art.

Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early

The U.S. won't become majority-minority until 2046, but four rural Kansas counties and Wyandotte County are already there.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Census data" data-vars-click-url="https://ipsr.unit2.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/2pop29.pdf" data-vars-content-id="d68a86e0-3cfc-4b0a-a45b-220b4010d145" data-vars-headline="Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ipsr.unit2.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/2pop29.pdf" target="_blank">Census data</a> shows a majority-minority U.S. population is decades away, but four Kansas counties and the metro&#x27;s Wyandotte County have already crossed that line. The big picture: The shift is reshaping the state, from meatpacking towns in southwest Kansas to the metro&#x27;s urban core, part of the nationwide rural trend identified in an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios analysis." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/majority-minority-rural-america-black-latino" data-vars-content-id="d68a86e0-3cfc-4b0a-a45b-220b4010d145" data-vars-headline="Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/majority-minority-rural-america-black-latino" target="_self">Axios analysis.</a>

KC's last 8pm sunset is days away

Most of the country has already lost its late sunsets, but the KC metro has until Aug. 23 to 25 depending on your county.

Most Americans have already seen their final 8pm sunset of the year, but Kansas City still has about a week of late light left.The big picture: We lose a little more light every day as the Earth&#x27;s Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun until Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year.<ul><li>The farther west within a time zone you live, the later your sunsets typically run, and KC sits in the western stretch of the Central time zone.</li></ul>

KC contracting program for women and minority business owners ends

The city council repealed the program that steered contract dollars to minority- and women-owned businesses after the state sued.

Kansas City ended 45 years of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="contracting goals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3188/16" data-vars-content-id="d3923310-2abc-4724-8279-36ed38bf8e12" data-vars-headline="KC contracting program for women and minority business owners ends" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3188/16" target="_blank">contracting goals</a> for minority- and women-owned businesses after a state lawsuit said they were discriminatory.Why it matters: The repeal of the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program changes how the city awards hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts each year, and the lawsuit that prompted it isn&#x27;t over.

City leaders want Grand Boulevard to make a comeback

It's one of the most historic business corridors in the city, and it used to be one of the busiest.

Several projects are lining up to transform a historic yet neglected stretch of Grand Boulevard into a hub of activity. Why it matters: Grand Boulevard&#x27;s financial district was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="booming in the 1920s" data-vars-click-url="https://pendergastkc.org/collection/missouri-valley-special-collections-kansas-city-public-library/10013854/grand-north-10th" data-vars-content-id="403dceda-0d64-44cb-aa25-9bef3614675a" data-vars-headline="City leaders want Grand Boulevard to make a comeback" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pendergastkc.org/collection/missouri-valley-special-collections-kansas-city-public-library/10013854/grand-north-10th" target="_blank">booming in the 1920s</a> as streetcar tracks crisscrossed the road and new-fangled towers scraped the skies, but now vacant and vandalized buildings have made it a place to avoid.

Why Missouri has a sales tax holiday, and Kansas doesn't

Missouri is ditching sales tax this weekend on back-to-school items.

Business

Missouri is ditching sales tax this weekend on back-to-school items — but Kansas isn&#x27;t.Why it matters: The same computer, binder or pair of jeans will be cheaper in Missouri on Friday through Sunday, no matter which state you live in.

A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze

Café 333 arrives as American drinking hits a record low.

Kansas City jazz was born in Prohibition-era clubs fueled by liquor. A century later, the city&#x27;s newest club is alcohol-free.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Café 333" data-vars-click-url="https://cafe333kc.com/index.html" data-vars-content-id="12730782-38c9-43b7-9ef7-88f25e28fa3c" data-vars-headline="A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cafe333kc.com/index.html" target="_blank">Café 333</a> is KC&#x27;s first sober jazz bar, and it&#x27;s arriving just as American drinking hits a record low.

Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings

Infrastructure carried the most weight this year.

Kansas and Missouri each fell four spots in CNBC&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="annual ranking" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html" data-vars-content-id="f48a710b-2868-4bb1-8219-1d89a6c6c4df" data-vars-headline="Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html" target="_blank">annual ranking</a> of the top states for business this year.Why it matters: The rankings land as both states broker deals for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="billion-dollar" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2025/08/28/port-kc-approves-funding-data-center-100-billion" data-vars-content-id="f48a710b-2868-4bb1-8219-1d89a6c6c4df" data-vars-headline="Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2025/08/28/port-kc-approves-funding-data-center-100-billion" target="_self">billion-dollar</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data centers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/04/06/nebius-data-center-driving-independence-mayoral-race" data-vars-content-id="f48a710b-2868-4bb1-8219-1d89a6c6c4df" data-vars-headline="Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/04/06/nebius-data-center-driving-independence-mayoral-race" target="_self">data centers</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stadiums" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/07/22/new-chiefs-kansas-stadium-design-renderings-arrowhead" data-vars-content-id="f48a710b-2868-4bb1-8219-1d89a6c6c4df" data-vars-headline="Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/07/22/new-chiefs-kansas-stadium-design-renderings-arrowhead" target="_self">stadiums</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="next-gen tech" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2025/10/03/kansas-could-get-next-gen-nuclear-power" data-vars-content-id="f48a710b-2868-4bb1-8219-1d89a6c6c4df" data-vars-headline="Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2025/10/03/kansas-could-get-next-gen-nuclear-power" target="_self">next-gen tech</a> they say will add jobs and increase competitiveness.

KC bookstores buck the national reading slump

Fewer Americans are reading, but bookstores keep multiplying.

Fewer Americans are reading, but bookstores keep multiplying, and Kansas City&#x27;s shelves are proof.Why it matters: The comeback isn&#x27;t happening in some abstract retail economy. It&#x27;s happening at 31st Street, in the West Bottoms and in Leawood strip malls, one new shop at a time.

KC's "Soccer Capital" claim has receipts

Leaders say it represents decades of investment that paid off big at the World Cup.

Sports

Kansas City has been calling itself the &quot;Soccer Capital of America&quot; for more than a decade, and despite skeptics and competition from other cities, KC&#x27;s claim runs deep.Why it matters: The phrase isn&#x27;t just a local boast or a title without teeth — it&#x27;s a trademarked slogan, and KC leaders say it represents decades of investment that paid off this summer.

Team owners: Soccer's future in KC "extremely bright"

Chiefs and Sporting KC owners say the city will continue to feel the World Cup's effects.

Chiefs and Sporting KC owners gathered in the Plaza on Friday to talk about how hosting the World Cup will affect Kansas City in the future.Why it matters: The city&#x27;s role in the tournament is over, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="organizers" data-vars-click-url="https://kansascityfwc26.com/about/" data-vars-content-id="3bdae512-d0a8-426f-b6ec-4d34b0f91c5d" data-vars-headline="Team owners: Soccer&#x27;s future in KC &quot;extremely bright&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/about/" target="_blank">organizers</a> say KC will continue feeling the effects of a job well done years into the future.

Local clothing designers are repping soccer swag

Colorful kits, U.S. Soccer collabs and collections of shirts, scarves and hats festoon KC.

Local clothing designers are creating World Cup-inspired apparel meant to meet the moment with colorful kits, U.S. Soccer collabs and collections of scarves and hats.Why it matters: These aren&#x27;t just T-shirts — they&#x27;re memories and souvenirs from a once-in-a-generation event that&#x27;s happening in Kansas City. That&#x27;s why people are buying them and why designers have spent years preparing for this moment.

The World Cup's effect on local businesses isn't black and white

We talked to 14 businesses and surveyed our readers.

Businesses are experiencing a mixed bag from World Cup activity, with traffic ranging from dead to full capacity, owners tell Axios.Why it matters: Several places reported declining sales, grabbing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="headlines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kctv5.com/2026/06/18/mixed-results-kansas-city-world-cup-start-some-businesses-struggle/" data-vars-content-id="eef63d09-a3c9-471b-a419-d0964fdd8197" data-vars-headline="The World Cup&#x27;s effect on local businesses isn&#x27;t black and white" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kctv5.com/2026/06/18/mixed-results-kansas-city-world-cup-start-some-businesses-struggle/" target="_blank">headlines</a> and prompting questions about whether big events are good for local businesses — but that&#x27;s not the full picture.

Business 🏦

KC contracting program for women and minority business owners ends

City leaders want Grand Boulevard to make a comeback

Why Missouri has a sales tax holiday, and Kansas doesn't

A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze

Kansas and Missouri fall in business rankings