From shaking hands with Harry to serving media coffee: KC vendors share World Cup adventures with English team

KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.

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Two local business owners at the Overland Park Farmers' Market found themselves at the center of the World Cup after serving England's national team during its Kansas City base camp stay.

Chris Thomas, owner of Brit Boy Street Foods, served his signature sausage rolls to the Three Lions on Monday, shaking hands with Harry Kane and getting his autograph.

"Honestly, just insane,” Thomas said. “The fact, being English, is you don't get to choose your national team. You can choose your club team all day long. You don't choose your national team, so the fact that I'm halfway across the world and they're in my backyard.”

Thomas — who was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, and now calls Kansas City home — remains incredulous.

We first connected with Thomas last summer when England began exploring Kansas City as a potential base camp location, hoping to understand what it would mean if the Three Lions came to Kansas City.

He never dreamed he would get to serve England coach Thomas Tuchell, Kane and the rest of the lads.

"The little boy in me came out, right?” Thomas said. “I've been gone a long time, but I obviously still follow them religiously and set my week around the games. It was — yeah, I’m speechless, honestly.”

He and his wife, Lizzie, started Brit Boy Street Food in March 2025 and it has evolved into a frozen-food business, one that has grown tremendously.

"When we started this, we had no idea,” Thomas said. “We had high hopes for it for sure, but the fact that we're now doing 500 to 700 units a week is just absolutely insane, and that will continue after the World Cup.”

He didn’t do anything special for the World Cup.

Brit Boy Street Food kept its space at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market and kept plugging along, but they weren’t the only vendor there to experience a close encounter with the English contingent.

Fika Coffee KC also served coffee at England's base camp during media availability throughout the World Cup. Owner Rachel Miller said the experience left a lasting impression on her and her staff.

"The British media are amazing,” she said. “We literally cried on Monday when we had to leave.”

For Miller, those were tears of joy — and a new allegiance.

"I will say I have become a number one England fan after this experience," Miller said.

Miller said she started to feel personally invested in England's run in the tournament.

"I can feel it in my soul; we're going to win the World Cup," Miller said before Wednesday’s semifinal against Argentina in Atlanta.

Unfortunately, England’s title hopes were dashed against reigning champions Argentina — though, technically, the Three Lions’ run continues Saturday through a date with France in the third-place match.

After losing the Kansas City Base Camp Cup against La Albiceleste, England returned to Kansas City to continue training ahead of its next match, while Argentina moved on to New York after more than a month at Compass Minerals National Performance Center.

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.

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