OFFICIAL: Power & Light District

[DaveKCMO]

Yes, there are several obvious restaurants missing from the Downtown Loop now: McDonald's, Taco Bell, Arby's, Wendy's, Hardee's, Chick-fil-A, Popeye's, Church's, etc.

i don't miss or want any of these unhealthy abominations taking up any precious restaurant stalls downtown.

[KCPowercat]

I was down in the P&L district a couple of times on my recent trip to KC. First night at the Bristols (great as always) and the second to attend the Mizzou-OSU game in Sprint Arena. The Mizzou game was well attended - more so than I thought it would be and just about every place in the P&L District had long waits for dinner (except the pricier places). We ended up eating in Cosentino's - it was OK and also packed full of people attending the game but the only place that was viable unless we wanted to miss the beginning of the game.

Downtown could use a few more restaurants in walking distance of the P&L District and especially some fast food. One of the more devoid downtowns I've been to in that regard. The district was hopping but the busy cosmopolitan died off pretty quick in any direction and the extreme cold made a trek somewhere further afield not very desirable. Still, good to see the district so busy. At it not been so fricking cold we would have been more willing to venture south of the loop into the Crossroads but wanted to stay in a few block radius of the Sprint Center.

Need better pedestrian signage would help....I think we have plenty of walkable restaurants to Sprint Center (Zaina,Jimmy Johns are a couple right outside P&L proper). streetcar will also help make those outside P&L restaurants easier to get to.

[FangKC]

Yes, there are several obvious restaurants missing from the Downtown Loop now: McDonald's, Taco Bell, Arby's, Wendy's, Hardee's, Chick-fil-A, Popeye's, Church's, etc.

i don't miss or want any of these unhealthy abominations taking up any precious restaurant stalls downtown.

Granted what you say is true. However, they are popular restaurants, and exist in most major downtown areas. Almost every restaurant in existence is unhealthy when you take into account the portion sizes, fat content, and salt, sugar, preservatives, hormones, manufactured subtances (high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oils, added, and the non-organic fruits and vegetables used.

Michelle Obama tried to get people to support healthier foods in our schools, and even the normal protectionism of our precious children isn't enough. School districts are going back to the old ways because they don't want to spend the money on healthier foods. I don't see a tide of parents storming school board meetings to support the first lady.

I'm thinking more about retail that brings in tax revenue, and traffic downtown.

[pash]

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[flyingember]

The main we reason we don't need a heaping of fast food downtown is because people who live downtown don't want it, broadly speaking. If you're advocating for a bunch of McDonald's and friends to set up shop downtown, you're advocating for a bunch of drive-thrus for workers on their way in and out. And people who live downtown want that even even less.

Even McDonalds is capable of doing no drive thru. they had a store on the Plaza without one.

i don't miss or want any of these unhealthy abominations taking up any precious restaurant stalls downtown.

there's a huge number of fast food options that aren't unhealthy. Chipotle is a good example. Chick-fil-a has a good mix of healthy options.

[earthling]

The point though was need for quick food before going to a Sprint event and not have to worry about waiting for service and check. There is already BK and Chipotle for chain fast food. A wider range of counter food could work while not being crappy fast food.

[pash]

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[FangKC]

Yes, there could is a real need for a variety of quick service types of restaurants--not just sit down variety. When I still lived downtown, I hated that there weren't enough take-out type restaurants nearby.

I continue to harbor dreams of a couple of decent full-service diners that keep hours into the evenings.

[loftguy]

Yes, there could is a real need for a variety of quick service types of restaurants--not just sit down variety. When I still lived downtown, I hated that there weren't enough take-out type restaurants nearby.

I continue to harbor dreams of a couple of decent full-service diners that keep hours into the evenings.

I'm with you, Fang. A couple of energized and updated diners would kick.

I'm also waiting for some innovative counter service. Where are the falafel shops? Habashi is great, but I'm describing something different. We need a place like Falafel King in Boulder, or Boston's Falafel King (not related) or East Side Pockets in Providence or the Pita Pit in Portland? They are all delicious. It's not rocket science, so you don't need highly trained staff. Can fit into a compact space. You can convince yourself it's healthy (sell some killer French fries too though, please) and they make the owners a great living.

Somebody???

[FangKC]

Noodle shops. Indian restaurants, etc. This is also why we need immigrants. They open restaurants.

[AllThingsKC]

While some downtown residents don't want certain fast food restaurant restaurants downtown and I understand why, visitors to downtown and tourists do like to see restaurants that they know and recognize. One of the biggest complaints I hear from visitors/tourists is about the lack of certain chain restaurants. Not that I want of bunch of chains downtown, but what other major city doesn't have at least a McDonald's in their downtown area? You can have such places without drive thrus as well.

So, I'll support McDonald's or Taco Bell coming inside the loop (without a drive thru) because I think that's what visitors want.

[chaglang]

Nobody's coming downtown just to eat at a McDonalds. So if they're already downtown doing something else, not having a McDonalds potentially pushes them toward a local option. That's good. If they're really that set on a Big Mac, they may leave, but what's that cost the downtown economy? $5?

[Eon Blue]

I do wish there were a few more "lazy" food options downtown. If a few of the places that are currently lunch-only kept dinner hours I think this desire would be accommodated.

[smh]

I do wish there were a few more "lazy" food options downtown. If a few of the places that are currently lunch-only kept dinner hours I think this desire would be accommodated.

Yes, this. I wouldn't do it all the time, but I would definitely like to visit Jason's Deli occasionally for an evening sandwich. Hat tip to Planet Sub for at least being open until six for your immediately after work sandwich needs.

[bobbyhawks]

I do wish there were a few more "lazy" food options downtown. If a few of the places that are currently lunch-only kept dinner hours I think this desire would be accommodated.

Yes, this. I wouldn't do it all the time, but I would definitely like to visit Jason's Deli occasionally for an evening sandwich. Hat tip to Planet Sub for at least being open until six for your immediately after work sandwich needs.

Jason's Deli is very good at understanding their appeal, which is bending over backwards to try to be convenient to downtown businesses, and free soft serve. Other than that, the food tastes like cardboard.

[Eon Blue]

Yes, this. I wouldn't do it all the time, but I would definitely like to visit Jason's Deli occasionally for an evening sandwich. Hat tip to Planet Sub for at least being open until six for your immediately after work sandwich needs.

I didn't know Planet Sub was open until 6 - that is a most pleasant revelation indeed.

[AllThingsKC]

No, nobody is going to come downtown just to eat a McDonald's. But the trick is to get them to stay downtown for a long as possible AND add amenities that makes their visit even better. If you're staying at a downtown hotel for a few days or a week, you're probably not going to want a local place everyday. You probably (hopefully) wouldn't want McDonald's every day either. But at least you would have more options.

The better opinion outsiders have downtown, they more likely they are to leave a better impression of our city. Heck, some may even move downtown.

[pash]

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[smh]

But I honestly doubt that there's anywhere close to enough business from visitors and tourists to keep much of anything alive. On its own, that's a very small market, so you need to draw in locals as well. Maybe in the perfect spot you could get both the rushed/downmarket office lunch crowd and the P&L/Sprint Center/tourist crowd, but there aren't a lot of places that would work.

I really just have trouble imagining more than one or two cardboard burger places drawing enough business to be profitable downtown without a drive-thru, and we already have one.

too soon.

[mgh7676]

What we really need are more Jimmy Johns.