KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
—
Kansas City Restaurant Week starts Friday, offering 10 days of culinary experiences across the metro area. But the annual event goes beyond satisfying appetites — it's also helping feed those in need through charitable partnerships.
KCRW features special menus at participating restaurants, including Ophelia's Inn and Restaurant in Independence, which is offering a four-course meal exclusively during Restaurant Week.
"I want to do something a little bit heavier and something, you know, for the complements the cold, rainy weather or cold, snowy is what we usually have. But also, I want to come do a mix of things that we have here on the menu already so they can kind of get a taste of what we do here at affiliates and what kind of food we serve," Bobby Stearns said, the executive chef at Ophelia's Inn and Restaurant
Restaurant Week provides an opportunity for diners to discover new local favorites while supporting area businesses. However, many participants may not realize the event also serves a charitable purpose.
Each year, Kansas City Restaurant Week donates a portion of proceeds to local charities. This year's beneficiaries include the Visit KC Foundation, Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, and ReStart, a local homelessness nonprofit.
"We serve three meals a day, over 90,000 meals a year, to over 1,300 people. So it's a great matchup for Restaurant Week. When folks are, you know, participating to support their restaurants, they're also helping to support meals at restart as well," Stephanie Boyer said, CEO of ReStart.
All three charitable partners have connections to food services, making the partnership particularly meaningful. Over its 16-year history, Kansas City Restaurant Week has donated more than $4.2 million to local causes.
KCRW features hundreds of local eateries, all offering affordable multi-course meals. It runs Jan. 9-18.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
