Kansas City food hall abruptly closes after nearly 8 years, leaving seven restaurants scrambling

A popular Kansas City food hall has abruptly closed its doors, leaving seven independent restaurant operators with only days to figure out what comes next. Parlor KC, which helped establish the Crossroads Arts District as a destination for food and nightlife, announced its permanent closure with little warning.

Parlor closes after nearly eight years

Parlor KC opened in 2018 in a historic building at 1707 Locust St. in Kansas City’s Crossroads district. The three-story food hall featured seven restaurant concepts, bars, lounge areas, and event space. It was marketed as a place where chefs could test new concepts without taking on the expense of opening a traditional standalone restaurant.

The food hall announced that Saturday, August 22, would be its final day, with the doors closing at 10 p.m.

Vendors were caught off guard

The closure announcement came as a shock to the businesses operating inside Parlor. Several restaurant owners said they learned about the shutdown with the same short notice as the public.

Sido’s Mediterranean Cuisine owner Abbas Abu-Zareefeh said an employee initially told him Parlor was closing that weekend, and he thought the worker was joking.

“We were completely shocked. They gave us no time to prepare for this,” Abu-Zareefeh told KCUR.

Another tenant, Sideshow Sliders owner Danielle Goldberg, said she had received a $4,000 food delivery for her businesses just an hour before receiving the closure email. “It’s absolutely devastating for sure,” she said.

Company cites declining visitation

Parlor’s owners said the surrounding environment had changed and the business had experienced a “significant shift in visitation.” After considering the situation, the company said it made the difficult decision to close.

The closure affects concepts including Sido’s Mediterranean Cuisine, Elephant Wings, Providence Pizza, Mother Clucker, Ladybird Taqueria, Sideshow Sliders, and The Laos House.

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