KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including Overland Park, Prairie Village and Leawood. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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Growth has not been stunted by economic development in De Soto.
During De Soto Mayor Rick Walker's State of the City address on Wednesday, he shared retail sales continue to climb as more development projects pop up.
Scott Hill, owner of JT's Grill and Sports Bar, can look out his restaurant's window and see it in real time.
"I see more restaurants. I see more housing. I see bigger infrastructure," he said.
The city is collecting significant revenue through its sales tax and use tax.
It's making the most money from companies like Panasonic and Evergy, renting equipment to build infrastructure projects at Astra Enterprise Park.
Panasonic alone has 3,500 workers on site, according to the city.
Sales tax revenue is tracked and reported to De Soto by the Kansas Department of Revenue.
The city uses the data to calculate retail sales activity.
In 2022, the monthly average for retail sales totaled $7.8 million. In 2025, the average is $19.6 million.
"A lot of it had to do with the Panasonic plant. Once I started seeing those yellow and orange shirts coming in for lunch, I thought, 'we're on to something here,"' he said
Hill said their sales have jumped by 80% compared to when the business opened twelve years ago.
"This is a great starting point out here right now, and if you’re gonna do it, I think now is the time," Hill said.
The City of De Soto shared revenue data with KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson.
High up on the list of revenue collected through sales are the city's grocery store, Harps, a Casey's store, and Burnt End BBQ.
"There's been so much investment monetarily, blood, sweat, tears, in this community by so many people over the last few years and we're just on the precipice of it all starting to really hit," said Tim Holverson, president of the De Soto Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council.
JT's is one business feeling the fruits of its labor so much that they're discussing expansion plans.
KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson asked the owner: "When you look at five-to-10 years from now, how do you envision your business here?"
Hill said: "Just in March, we re-signed a 10-year lease,De so I'll be here for another 10 years at least."
