KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
—
A Kansas City food truck operator transformed a vacant lot at 3306 Main Street into a hub for small businesses, and the FIFA World Cup is giving the new venture an unexpected boost.
Tameisha Martin, owner of Love Is Key, saw potential in the empty property — which had sat vacant for a long time, accumulated trash, and racked up violations — and turned it into a space for seven food trucks along Main Street.
She and her team cleaned the lot themselves.
The space, which Martin is calling the "Love Lot," is positioned between the Plaza and FIFA Fan Fest at the World War I Memorial.
“We were able to turn this into a viable business to help small business owners,” Martin said. “For the World Cup, the tourists, come and check us out. Come and see what we have to offer.”
The lot features a diverse lineup of food options.
"We have Venezuelan food, we have African food, we have Asian food, of course American, soul food," Martin said.
Martin initially hoped her chicken-and-waffles truck would be selected for the FIFA Fan Fest at the World War I Memorial, but when that didn't happen, she pivoted.
Thankfully, they already had the vacant lot.
"And when we heard that we did not get selected, we're entrepreneurs, and we make opportunities for ourselves," Martin said.
The lot's location gives it a strategic advantage, with two streetcar stops nearby.
"There's two different streetcar stops right in between this lot, and so we believe a lot of traffic will be coming through here on the streetcar and walking," Martin said.
Martin said the Love Lot addresses a real challenge for food truck operators, who face high costs and inconsistent locations.
"With all the permits, all the different rules, it's very expensive,” Martin said. “So having the opportunity to have a consistent place to park, to build your fan base, to actually collaborate with other trucks and other food businesses will help people stabilize but also grow in revenue and grow in visibility as well.”
Martin also mentioned frustration over an ordinance Kansas City passed in April that says food vendors like her business must not operate within 300 feet of “related businesses open business hours.”
She says being on private property also gives the trucks more flexibility to operate.
"Once you're on private property like our lot, you're able to get around that rule and still operate," Martin said.
Martin sees the Love Lot as a benefit beyond just the vendors themselves.
"This will help the small businesses in addition to the tourists that have additional food options and the residents in the area to have additional food options as well," Martin said. "We are people who want to help the city grow and continue to expand and diversify.”
She also spoke to the location’s ideal placement.
"A location like this can help food trucks stabilize, have a consistent fan base, and really up their fame with visibility and profitability," Martin said.
Tony Dawkins, owner of KC Italian Ice, is one of the vendors at the lot.
He has experience serving at larger venues but launched this new business independently.
He sees the World Cup as a launchpad.
"When I heard the World Cup was coming, I thought it would be a great opportunity because the fan base outside of America is just huge," Dawkins said. "There's tons of traffic, people just need to see us, and they need to come sample our product.”
Both operators hope the Love Lot becomes something permanent.
Martin said they currently have a lease through the end of July and want to explore turning it into a long-term food truck park, with plans to show games on a screen and capitalize on the night traffic the lot already draws.
Individual trucks have their own hours, and the lot is open from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m., with Love Is Key operating 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Dawkins echoed that hope for longevity.
"Hopefully this is not a one-off,” Dawkins said. “Hopefully we can continue something like this.”
For now, he's focused on building one customer at a time.
"Seems like when I show up every day, we get one more customer. That is my goal. Keep showing up, getting one more customer every day," Dawkins said.
He’s confident they can create a fan base of their own.
"Once they sample our product, they'll be a fan for life," Dawkins said.
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.
—
