Woven throughout Kansas City are a variety of Latinx-owned businesses that embrace their various cultures while showing love to KC. Below, I’ll share some of my favorite Latinx-owned places and what makes them so special from one dollar-deals to South American cuisine and Saturday vendor fairs.
Let’s get started on our tour with my favorite massage therapist, Celeste Aguirre, founder of Relief Muscle Manipulation. She’s known by her clients as a natural healer and learned massage techniques from her grandparents who immigrated from Mexico in the 1960s. Their innate sense of muscle manipulation is what sparked her interest in holistic health and pushes her to help clients get back to who they were before their discomfort and pain.
Next, let’s talk about the one-dollar-per-person Zumba classes offered by Diva Esparza! You can meet her on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday nights for Zumba at Argentine Community Center or on Saturday for her Zumba class held at Blessed Sacrament located at 2115 Parallel Ave. Kansas City, KS. All classes are between $1-$3 and everyone is welcome to grab a friend and make your way to KCK for a killer fun workout with Latin beats.
Did you know that in KCK, there is an entire ecosystem of immigrant entrepreneurs from many different Latin American countries? The Central Avenue Betterment Association holds La Placita Market at Bethany Park bi-monthly featuring business owners, entertainment, and the opportunity for members of the community to connect. The number of vendors keeps growing and whenever I visit I always make a beeline to the vendors with hot pupusas right off the grill and other homemade treats!
FOOD
If you’re looking for some good eats I have the perfect spots you can support this Hispanic Heritage Month!
Recently opening its doors this September, Café Sofrito is the perfect spot to taste a different style of South American cuisine in Kansas City! Growing up learning to make Chilean foods from my mom and grandmother, I dig any local restaurant with a South American flare.
Biting into one of the arepas is so satisfying and the menu is full of other savory items including a Cubano sandwich, stuffed twice-cooked plantains, Tequeños, and more.
Plus, the have such a cool eye catching mural painted by local artists @bedfundy and @eyecough during Spray See MO of 2021.
You’ve probably heard of my next pick, and for good reason! When I’m at Café Corazón I get more than coffee — it’s an experience! This family-owned business represents their Argentinian, Mexican, and Native American heritage through food and drink. They are one of the few places in KC that serves yerba mate! My personal favorite drink there is their spicy Mayan mocha. I definitely recommend it with a beef empanada dipped in their decadent homemade chimichurri sauce.
El Torito and Supermercado Rio Bravo
Don’t tell me you can find 15 limes for $1 at Price Chopper or golden mangos 3 for $1 at Hyvee. Supermercado Rio Bravo at 10th and Central or El Torito at 14th and Central both have great deals like the ones I just mentioned. They’re only 10 minutes West of Downtown KCMO and with those great prices come unique produce like lychee, guava, papaya, plantains and root vegetables like yucca. *Key tip- If you’re having a BBQ, get their “carne arrachera preparada” (skirt steak). The word “preparada” in this context means marinated with their in house mouth-watering seasonings. Forget hamburgers and hotdogs for BBQs, this is 100% our go-to for grilling. By the way, after you shop, you can eat dinner there as both of these supermarkets have restaurants!
ART
There are so many ways that Latinx artists have found to express themselves while embracing their heritage. A few who I appreciate and whose businesses have both helped and inspired me are below.
If you want to adorn your body with beautiful pieces of jewelry then you’ll love the options from Cheryl Eve Acosta through Cheryl Eve Designs. Cheryl is half Puerto Rican, half French, and has her studio in the Crossroads! Her designs are inspired by marine biology and are handmade pieces of art! My favorite piece is BANGLES CUIVRE and I like them because they remind me of volcanic rock sculpted into a striking piece of jewelry.
Speaking of inspired designs, I love introducing people to the artwork of Mexican, American artist Vania Soto. You’ve probably seen her work around town as she paints images like her West Bottoms stockyards mural with vibrant colors that tell the story of KC’s past or her hand painted beautiful flowers on Michael Kors purses. With her work, she breathes life into it. She also focuses on encouraging budding artists by providing classes for youth ages 10-16 at the Police Athletic League and paints lifelike portraits by commission.
Each piece of art, seen or worn, is a chance to increase Latinx representation in Kansas City and Isaac and Rico of IT-RA Icons understand how important that is. I get so excited when Urban Hikes KC treks take us across some of their vibrant artwork located throughout Kansas City including Southwest Boulevard and Westport to name a few. Their work celebrates their Latinx communities and provides a great opportunity to showcase the talent of Latinx artists right in our own city!
The final artist I want to introduce you to is Michelle Augustin who is Colombian American. A picture is worth a thousand words and holds so many memories! That’s why I’m so thankful to Michelle for capturing the very beginning of my Urban Hikes KC journey through her photography business. The headshot photos she took of me have been in magazines across the city and tell my story so well. You can see the other stories she’s told through photography on her Instagram page linked above.
It’s been a pleasure to introduce you to these Latinx businesses that have impacted my life! I hope you have the chance to support and enjoy them as they pour back into the Kansas City community while honoring the culture and influence of our past generations.