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The Russell on Main Street in Midtown has seen a surge of international visitors since World Cup teams and fans began arriving in the city, and the staff created a guest book to mark the moment.
Chris Morris, the restaurant's director of operations, said the influx of out-of-town guests inspired the idea.
"We've noticed a big increase in a lot of out of towners from a lot of different countries coming in, which has been really fun," Morris said.
The guest book, which features a "Welcome to Kansas City" page at the front, gives visitors a place to leave their name, a message and where they are from.
"We just made it today, so we haven't had any signatures yet. So, when they come in they'll be able to say, 'Hi, open it up.' And actually hot of the press, they'll have the Welcome to Kansas City page. And then, inside we're going to have them start filling it out — put their name, a message, who their team is, where they're from and when they were here," Morris said.
Staff said the book is intended to be more than a sign-in sheet — it is a way to remember the teams, the visitors and the energy that came through Midtown during the tournament.
The Russell also plans to use the interactions as an opportunity for conversations between locals and fans.
Location has also worked in the restaurant's favor — the Russell sits steps from a streetcar stop and management said the transit access has boosted foot traffic, making it easier for fans exploring the city to stop in between matches.
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