This summer, multiple Johnson County restaurants are gearing up to enter the big leagues.
For roughly a month, three Johnson County-born eateries (and multiple Missouri-based eateries with big Johnson County footprints) will serve their cuisine at the FIFA Fan Festival in Kansas City, Missouri.
The festival will run from June into July
- The 18-day fan festival will take place on the south lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, at 2 Memorial Drive in Kansas City, Missouri.
- The free event will offer a place to watch matches on big screens, live music and food from 20 Kansas City-area restaurants in total.
- The event has a venue maximum capacity of 25,000 people, and so far, fans from at least 125 different countries have already registered for it. (Registration is required, so click here if you want to go).
Three eateries with JoCo origins will be at the fan fest
Johnson Countians at the festival will recognize Taco Naco, whose flagship location is in downtown Overland Park.
“The moment we received the news, we were absolutely thrilled,” said Brian Goldman, who co-owns Taco Naco with his wife, Fernanda Reyes Gonzalez. “As a Mexican-owned business, being chosen for an event of this magnitude feels like an incredible honor.
“We are excited to represent our artisanal Mexican food and culture on a global stage and share a piece of our heritage and the personality of Kansas City with visitors from around the world.”
The restaurant will serve several of its own fan favorites. That includes tacos like carne asada, quesabirria and pork adobo, and fernet (a traditional Argentine drink mixed with Mexican Coca-Cola).
“Like tacos, soccer has a unique way of bringing communities together, and we believe this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our city,” Goldman said. “We’re looking forward to sharing great food, meeting new people, and being part of unforgettable moments as fans proudly support their teams and celebrate their cultures.”
Load up on edible cookie dough, and mac and cheese
Olathe-based Blended Vibes, a catering company that got its start in 2023, will also be serving up comfort food like loaded mac and cheese and edible cookie dough.
Stepping up to potentially feed tens of thousands of people has been “surreal” for the company, said Larry Fennell, who co-owns the company with his wife, Joleen Fennell.
Still, it’s one that Fennell said he and his family are up for, after years of cooking for hundreds of people at events like tailgates and festivals — including the Kansas City Taco Festival. (“This will be the taco festival on steroids,” Fennell joked.)
“It’s been very surreal, and a lot of work on our part, because we’re a really small company,” he said. “It’s going to be a little bit different, but we’re really excited.”
Just weeks after opening their new Prairie Village cafe, Argentina Inc. Empanadas also recently found out they’ll be serving up their cuisine at the festival.
Owner Claudia Luna West, who also owns Shawnee-based Buenos Aires Restaurante, said the menu at the fan festival will offer empanadas (including the increasingly popular Jack Stack barbecue empanada) and sweets like dulce de leche cheesecake.
As the owner of both a catering company and a restaurant that’s planning on hosting World Cup events this summer, it’s shaping up to be a busy summer for Luna West and her team.
As the only Argentinian eatery selected for the festival, she said she’s looking forward to giving locals and tourists alike a taste of her own cuisine.
“It’s gonna be massive,” she said. “Those empanadas are selling so much; every day I have orders for catering.”
Other Kansas City eateries with JoCo presences will be there
Besides the three that got their original start in Johnson County, several more Missouri-based eateries with Johnson County locations will be serving up treats at the festival.
That includes:
- Jack Stack Barbecue
- Upscale eatery Rye
- Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop
- Yemeni cafe Mocha Point Coffee
- Ice creamery Betty Rae’s
Want more food and drink news? After decades at 95th and Metcalf, Johnson County’s last Red Lobster has closed
