When we think of signature Kansas City dining and nightlife, we tend to think of downtown. But places like the Martin City Brewing Company in South Kansas City are looking to change that, without losing their small town feel.
As featured in The Pitch, the Martin City Brewing Company has already been making a splash in the KC dining scene. With a delicious seasonal menu prepared by ambitious and passionate chefs, the Brewing Company features one of a kind signature macaroni and cheese dishes, garlic-infused fried egg sandwiches, and risotto balls, just a few of the offerings.
The Pitch article cites an hour-long wait for a table—pretty impressive for a small pub on the outskirts of the metro—but also a Cheers-like hometown atmosphere, which has definitely contributed to the success of the family-owned restaurant.
Co-owner Matt Moore’s grandfather once owned and operated a pub in the same 100-year-old building that the Martin City Brewing Company now occupies. Moore’s grandfather not only operated the Martin City Pub, but also created the aforementioned Jess & Jim’s and R.C.’s Restaurant and Lounge just down the street. When Moore bought back the building (after being the Martin City Pub, it housed a handful of other businesses, most recently a Chinese restaurant), he had the intention of converting it back into a small town bar and café and that’s exactly what he’s done.
The Martin City Brewing Company is already doing more business than our current location can really handle,” says Moore. “And we don’t even actually have a brewery.” That’s about to change with the opening of the Martin City Pizza and Tap Room right next door.
Housed in a formerly vacant building, the Martin City Pizza and Tap Room will not only allow the Martin City Brewing Company to live up to its name but it will also expand their accommodations to add pizza and home grown beer.
Moore has invested $320,000 in new equipment and $680,000 in rehab/new construction costs to bring the microbrewery to life. The new restaurant is expected to bring in around 20 new jobs right away but if the success of the Martin City Brewing Company is any indication of what’s to come, this little business is likely to grow quickly, especially with the upsurge in popularity of local specialty breweries and microbreweries.
Where might you find the next up-and-coming Kansas City dining hotspot? Why in Martin City Missouri of course!
About Martin City
Annexed by Kansas City in 1963, Martin City sits on the southeast corner of the metro area, with the Saeger Woods Conservation Area and Jerry Smith Park separating it from Grandview. In 2005, the Martin City Community Improvement District was launched as an economic development tool to help improve Martin City through master planning in infrastructure, transportation, appearance, safety and security policies, marketing campaigns, and special events. The 300-acre political subdivision includes over 75 primarily family-owned local businesses like the Martin City Brewing Company.