News Stories

The sun sets on Don Chilitos Dec. 22

RIP to free chips and salsa: Why Don Chilitos just released the KC Tex-Mex staple’s secret family recipes

Don Chilitos might have served its last bit of CCQ sauce — but that doesn’t mean its final customers had to settle for a handful of chiclets as a memento on their way out the door, Barry Cowden said, explaining his decision to go public with dozens of recipes from the beloved restaurant in a newly…

Robert Feeney and B. Wayne Bradley, KaaS, Ringorang

A Silicon Valley startup relocated to Kansas in June; it’s latest move goes ‘all-in’ on Wichita

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. One…

Ryan Hill, founder of 8183 Productions, started as a wedding photographer 10 years ago and now does commercial photo shoots for a host of national clients; photo courtesy of CityScene KC

From wedding photographer to projects with Pepsi, Tech N9ne and The Rock: Westside production shop gets sophisticated

Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by CityScene KC, an online news source focused on Greater Downtown Kansas City. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the weekly CityScene KC email review. Tucked in a quiet corner of the Westside neighborhood, a nondescript building on Holly Street houses some of the…

Shelia Johnson, Gangsta Goodies Kitchen

Shelia Johnson wants a daytime TV slot; Her ‘Gangsta Goodies’ brand already has the recipe

Sacred is the kitchen of Shelia Johnson, an ambitious Kansas City matriarch-turned-food scene celebrity working to bring families and communities together one meal at a time.  “It has always been the heart of the home. The root of who we are culturally,” Johnson said, recalling her childhood and time spent with her mother in the…

Designs by Lephant LLC, The Kritiq 2021

Why mental health took the runway before a single model walked The Kritiq’s largest fashion show yet

If speaking openly about mental health isn’t already part of the culture, you have to put it in the spotlight, said Mark Launiu, detailing why his recent fashion show offered the best runway to address a silent epidemic within underserved communities.  “You can’t reach a destination if you’re not mentally ready for the journey. I’m…