This time around, we took on the task of speaking with all our tenants at The Wonder Shops + Flats at the corner of 30th and Troost in Kansas City, MO. We asked each tenant about how they got their start, why they chose this location, what their secrets to success are, and what they see in the future for their business.
Metro KC Fitness
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
We started our new hybrid training vision back in August with a vision to provide the best quality training at an affordable price. We are focused on corrective exercise and injury prevention with a LOT of fun exercises for team building. It’s designed for weight loss and full body transformation results.
What made you choose your location?
The location was perfect with the education district and businesses around to build a health and fitness community.
What’s the secret to your success?
The secret to success is consistency, honesty, and giving people the best options.
What sets your business apart from other businesses in KC?
We are the first fitness business to revolutionize small group training and personal training. We not only merge those two but also use heart rate technology and nutrition seminars to educate everyone. With our 22 years of experience and our fitness specialist, we are hoping to change thousands of lives.
Sirish Bhavnani
Co-Owner & Trainer
Visit their website at metrokcfitness.com.
Soulcentricitea
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
I started out in 2019 with a collective self-care gift shop on 47th and Troost which sold loose leaf teas and other herbs. I left this concept after realizing I really want to create a comfortable space for people to sit down and enjoy their tea.
What made you choose your location?
I chose this location because I love The Wonder! It’s a very unique space and the open concept is perfect for poetry events I hope to hold in the future.
What’s the secret to your success?
The secret to my success is that I always try to inspire and empower others with our space, our drinks, and our atmosphere.
What sets your business apart from other businesses in KC?
Soulcentricitea is a social business, and community organizing is at the center of our mission. We are in the process of organizing a youth internship program in response to the high rates of youth homicide in the city since the beginning of the pandemic. We are also organizing a Troost Black Business Association and a Troost Directory.
What does the future hold?
In the future, I hope to have a calendar full of events including poetry open mics, jam sessions book signings, lectures, and tea sip-and-paints.
Nika Renee
Owner
Visit their website at soulcentricitea.com.
RideKC Development Corporation
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
RideKC Development Corporation is a 3-year-old nonprofit owned by KCATA. RideKC was created as a rapid response and engagement force to connect with public and private sector development and interests which support KCATA and the Corporation’s three primary goals: Transit Oriented Development and Joint Development; Jobs Access and Enabling Public Policy to make the living and working environment more sustainable and dynamic.
What are you working on, and what does the future hold?
What RideKC is working on today includes new solutions and hybrid solutions to connect locations that provide traditional transit, TOD, improved walkability and mobility choices to nearby and harder to reach areas of housing, employment, services and education.
How do you impact the community?
If we can help one household put the average annual cost of car ownership and operation back in their wallet, it will increase their disposable income by over $9,500 per year per vehicle, and reduce the median household income spent on housing and car transportation + plus structured $1,500 per year for parking from 43% of their household income to around 25% of household income, the net result is significantly more disposable income in TOD designed/built environments.
Brien Starner
President
Visit their website at ridekc.org.
Hair KCMO
What made you choose your location?
Before we landed at The Wonder, location was very important to me. I live in Squier Park and wanted to move my business to my tax district to help put money back into our community. The Wonder is a big part of Kansas City’s history and was a great source of employment for so many. It feels very significant to add jobs within this unique building and in this very special neighborhood.
Adding a heavy-foot-traffic business like ours to a cluster of amazing small businesses with the kindest owners and staff makes us feel like we are all part of the Troost ecosystem of neighbors helping neighbors, both financially and through genuine kindness.
What’s the secret to your success?
I always tell people to refine your skills, maintain humility, and, in the words of Stan Lee, “If you have an idea that you genuinely believe is good, don’t let some idiot tell you it’s not.”
What sets your business apart from other businesses in KC?
Our salon is built with love. We treat all salons like a sisterhood and not as competition.
What does the future hold?
In the future, we plan on finishing our buildout and getting a kind group of aesthetics creatives to complete our salon family.
Chelsea Edwards
Owner
Visit them on Facebook at HairKCMO.
The Combine
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
I’m Alan Kneeland, and I am the operating owner of The Combine. My partners include Jason Pryor and Charles Peach who offer a combined 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry. I got my start in the industry at the age of 16 as a dishwasher at Panera Bread.
What made you choose your location?
I grew up on 75th and Troost. The idea of opening a new concept was already in the works and while looking at multiple locations around the Kansas City area, we were excited regarding the potential and building momentum surrounding this area along with the overall design of the Troost area.
We feel the character of the building and space help separate us in this sector. There is a great deal of history not only in the building but in the neighborhoods it serves. We understand there are many fine options for our patrons to dine at, but our space and ambience offer a neighborhood feel, a sanctuary for good food and drinks.
What does the future hold?
Without a doubt, we have all faced our own challenges over the past year. With light at the end of the tunnel getting closer every day, we hope to see the vibrancy of the neighborhood unfold once again with additional investments along Troost and the adjacent neighborhoods.
Alan Kneeland
Operating Owner
Visit their website at thecombinekc.com.
Homeroom Health
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
KC CARE Health Center was founded by volunteers in 1971 as the Westport Free Health Clinic to provide essential medical and oral healthcare to Kansas City residents with no health insurance and few resources.
Over the next few decades, we led the way in providing a continuum of HIV/AIDS services, launched a behavioral health program, and created our Care Coordination program to assist patients with multiple barriers to care in navigating the healthcare system.
What made you choose your location?
Since 2015 when we first began to provide pediatric care, we knew we’d want to have a location dedicated to infants, youth, children, and young adults. Our Homeroom Health location has available street parking, access to major bus lines and is close to KC CARE Health Center’s Midtown location as well as our partner Cornerstones of Care’s headquarters as well.
There are so many young families and schools surrounding the Troost Corridor—many more than existing healthcare providers can serve. When we moved into our space in 2019, we were so glad to join the area. We’re just a skip down the road from the KCMO Health Department and are neighbors to Kansas City Public Schools. And we love that we’ve been part of breathing new life into a building with a unique history.
What sets your business apart from other businesses in KC?
For 50 years, KC CARE Health Center has adapted to meet patient needs with an ever-growing community footprint. From the HIV epidemic to the COVID-19 pandemic, from the opioid crisis to chronic health management, we have been a trusted resource to people from all walks of life. Looking ahead, we will steward its resources and community support to do even more for our patients – through expanded services, capacity, and accessibility and by serving new patients through Missouri Medicaid expansion. This care is delivered, as always, by a knowledgeable, compassionate staff who treat all people with dignity and respect.
What does the future hold?
In Fall 2021, we’ll be launching a Mobile Dental Unit to serve local schools and ensure kids are receiving their twice-annual dental exam and cleanings. And as students go back to in-person classrooms in the fall, we’ll also be here ready to make sure that students are up to date on their annual school and sports physicals and vaccines.
Visit their website at kccare.org.
Solid State Pinball Supply
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
I started playing in my 20s in local bars like Buzzard Beach. My first pinball machine was broken and I taught myself how to fix it. I continued buying broken pinball machines for a couple hundred dollars, fixed them up, and would re-sell them for a couple thousand.
When I first got into pinball there used to be a store in the area, but it closed two months later. That’s what gave me the idea of opening my own store, which I never thought would ever happen.
What made you choose your location?
I originally had a store in KCK that was a tenth of the size of the current space. I had to constantly move pinball machines to get them in and out of the store. After looking for a year, I finally found this space.
What sets your business apart from other businesses in KC?
There’s no pinball place within an 8-hour driving distance where you can play more than 10 or 15 pinball machines with older and rarer machines. We’ve sold so many games since November that we’ve had to turn down customers so we can fill the arcade part of the business. We do more than other pinball shops do by building relationships with our customers to come back and buy more, repair, or trade in pinball machines. We want our customers to be happy and stay in pinball.
What does the future hold?
We started a Sunday morning meetup which originally involved talking about pinball and having doughnuts. This has turned into everyone building their own pinball machine from scratch. I’d like this to continue and to host more pinball classes where people can learn how to build and fix pinball machines.
Nick Greenup
Owner
Visit their website at solidstatekc.com.
BikeWalkKC
How did you get started in your industry within Kansas City?
We started BikeWalkKC to make Kansas City a safer and more accessible place to walk and bike for transportation, recreation, and health.
What made you choose your location?
We like the central location of The Wonder, the adjacent Troost MAX, proximity to our workforce, and being near other nonprofit organizations.
What’s the secret to your success?
The secret to our success is a team that is passionate about mission, strong partnerships in the community, and lots of hard work. We work collaboratively with local communities and stakeholders to identify problems and then advocate for solutions.
What does the future hold?
As for our plans for the future, 2021 is our 10th anniversary! This year we are celebrating the past and working with the community to create a vision for the next 10 years.
Eric Rogers
Executive Director
Visit their website at bikewalkkc.org.
Visit thewonderkc.com to learn more about the history of our space and everything The Wonder Shops + Flats has to offer the residents and the Kansas City community.