KC By Sari

Hitides Coffee

Growing up in Michigan, Johnny Dawbarn dreamed of ditching the cold and catching some waves. He was mesmerized by Hawaiian culture and the laid back vibes of the islands. After leaving his career at Hallmark after more than 20 years, Johnny knew his next step was to somehow incorporate his love of Hawaii. 
Hitides opened two years ago in the midst of the pandemic. Johnny attributes his success to offering a gateway for people looking to take a breather from everyday life. Walking into Hitides feels like stepping into a resort on the islands. Many of the artifacts used to decorate the space are from either Johnny's trips to Hawaii or thrift stores. 
Hitides is dedicated to giving back to the community. They partner with Donutology and Meshuggah Bagels as well as Hawaiian brands to bring customers the highest quality ingredients. Hitides encourages customers to slow down and enjoy the ride. 
Website: https://www.hitidescoffee.com/
Instagram: @hitidescoffee
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn
Follow @kcbysari on Instagram 

Betty Rae’s Ice Cream

Fresh out of college and excited for the next chapter in his life, Alec Rodgers was working a second job as a scooper at Betty Rae's Ice Cream to make some extra cash. Now scooper turned owner, Alec is managing to uphold the Betty Rae's standard, while adding his own flare. 
Betty Rae’s continues to serve 26 house made flavors offering crafted classics, like Vanilla Bean and Chocolate, to fun and collaborative seasonal flavors like Joe’s KC BBQ & Burnt Ends (yes, there is real meat!). They also serve homemade waffle cones, ice cream sandwiches, decadent sundaes, and boozy shakes.
Each year Betty Rae’s dedicates and donates 10% of its profits to local, national, and international organizations, charities, and individuals seeking to advance and serve their communities. 
Website: http://bettyraes.com/
Instagram: @bettyraes
The Pitch's Articles:
https://www.thepitchkc.com/betty-raes-part-1-david-friesen-and-mary-thao-nguyen-provide-exclusive-postmortem-on-the-events-of-late-2020/
https://www.thepitchkc.com/betty-raes-new-ownership-is-a-passionate-team-of-familiar-faces-relaunching-shop-mid-march/
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn
Follow @kcbysari on Instagram 

Local Author Jon Arlan

In the summer of 2015, Jonathan Arlan was nearing thirty. Restless, bored, and daydreaming of adventure, he comes across an image on the Internet one day: a map of the southeast corner of France with a single red line snaking south from Lake Geneva, through the jagged brown and white peaks of the Alps to the Mediterranean sea—a route more than four hundred miles long. He decides then and there to walk the whole trail solo. 
Mountain Lines is the stirring account of a month-long journey on foot through the French Alps and a passionate and intimate book laced with humor, wonder, and curiosity. It was a New York Times best summer travel book recommendation. 
Here is where you can purchase copies of Mountain Lines: A Journey Through the French Alps
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mountain-lines-jonathan-arlan/1124716973
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Lines-Journey-through-French/dp/1510709754
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo Designed by Alex Cohn
Follow @kcbysari on Instagram 

Sensatia, Cirque Cabaret

Prepare to be transported to an interactive multimedia performance blending spectacular acrobatics, state-of-the-art visuals, live music, perfumery, and delicious desserts for VIP guests to arouse each of the five senses: taste, touch, sight, scent and sound. Brought to life by Kansas City-born and internationally renowned Quixotic, Sensatia promises a truly unique multi-sensory experience.
Envee, the MC of Sensatia, created a character that would help the audience get in tune with their senses during the show. The show is spicy and viewer discretion is advised. There is no other show is Kansas City like it, with no other MC that enjoys their job as much as Envee does. 
This is a show you won't want to miss. Check out the website to purchase tickets and follow along on social media for any upcoming show releases. 
Website: https://sensatiakc.com/
Instagram: @envee77 / @sensatia_cabaret
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn 

The Afloat App

Finding the right gift for someone can be tough. Figuring out what to get them or how long shipping will take, the questions are endless. Luckily, the Afloat app has made gift-giving easy by being a one-stop shop for all gifting needs. Afloat is a gifting app created to make gifting meaningful, timely and convenient. 
Sarah-Allen Preston created the app after two deeply personal experiences – her son’s open-heart surgery, and divorce – left her wanting to show gratitude and thanks to her community but not having the time to do it.
Afloat offers gifts for any kind of celebration as well as those special gifts to let someone know you're thinking of them during a time of need. They partner with local businesses to bring a wide variety of products to their customers. 
Website: https://theafloatapp.com/
Instagram: @theafloatapp 
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn 
 

Tapp Into It Fitness

As we have officially entered a new year, we often hear mottos such as "New Year, New Me," but getting started can be hard. Justine Tapp, fitness instructor and personal trainer, offers advice on how to start setting your goals towards living a healthier life. 
Justine currently teaches classes at City Gym in Waldo and Title Boxing Club in Prairie Village. Having always loved physical activity, Justine naturally found her way towards helping others find their love in their own fitness journey. 
Justine lives by the mantra, the difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. She explains how this guided her both professionally and personally. 
For more information on Justine's services, visit her website, where you can find a full list of services and pricing, https://www.tappintoitfitness.com/ 
Instagram: @tappjustine
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn 

Ten Gallon Top

Kansas City has a love of hosting and attending pop ups. They are a great way to learn about new businesses, meet business owners and shop local. These pop ups are often where new businesses find their first loyal customers and grow their customer base. 
Ten Gallon Top is a recent local business that joined the pop up world of Kansas City. This custom hat bar lets customers handpick a hat that meets their style needs. 
Owners Jacki and Zoe juggle operating Ten Gallon Top while both working other jobs. Finding time to balance being business owners on top of other obligations can be a struggle, but both girls are loving the growing support of their business. 
Ten Gallon Top also offers private parties. From birthday parties to bridal showers, they set up their custom hat bar for any themed party. 
PROMO CODE: "KCBYSARI" for 10% off Ten Gallon Top gift cards (gift card value over $140)
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn 

Influencer Jana Meister

With everyone wanting to be on top of the latest trends, many people turn to social media to see what their favorite celebrity or influencer is wearing. This feeling of needing something instantly is matched when influencers share links to their social media of where to find certain articles of clothing. 
Local influencer, Jana Meister, has been blogging about fashion for nearly ten years. She started her blog as an online portfolio to help her land a job in the fashion industry. She was no idea that almost a decade later, she would still be sharing her tips their her own online platform. 
With the holidays right around the corner, Jana discusses some upcoming trends and what she thinks will be hot for this holiday season. She also discusses the stresses of being an influencer and having to balance creating content along with her professional career and personal life. 
You can follow Jana on Instagram at @jana_meister and @janastyleblog. You can read her blog at http://www.janastyleblog.com/ . 
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn 

Blackhole Bakery

For many, baking is a hobby, something people enjoy with friends, to pass the time, or even as a stress reliever. For Jason Provo, owner of Blackhole Bakery, baking was his final destination in a long journey of professional careers. 
Jason opened Blackhole Bakery in April of 2020, just weeks after the first wave of the pandemic. Despite not knowing what the future would hold, Jason opened his doors. At the time of opening, Jason had low expectations of how his business would perform. 
Little did he realize, in the first six months, his pastries would sell out on a regular basis and his bakery would be featured in local publications. Blackhole has been mentioned in a handful of local publications since opening, each pointing to the unique spin on classic pastries. 
Blackhole is open Wednesday-Friday 7:00-2:00pm and Saturday-Sunday 8:00-2:00pm. You can follow them on Instagram at @blackholebakery and check out their website https://blackholebakery.com/ . It is recommended that if you visit, go early in the morning. They often sell out within their first few hours. 
 
Music by Victoria Ball
Logo designed by Alex Cohn 

Mr. D’s Donuts

For those who prefer to get their day started on a sweet note, donuts are often a go-to breakfast item in the morning. With there being dozens of options and made fresh daily, it is easy to see why Mr. D's Donuts often sells out only a few hours after opening. 
This beloved local donut shop has been open for decades but Johnny and Boggie Chen took over ownership in 2017. When the owner was ready to hang up his apron, Johnny and Boggie were eager to take over. Only catch, they had no prior baking experience. They had to learn the "Mr. D's" way of making donuts and doing business. 
Their commitment to keeping loyal customers happy and new customers continuing to come has continued even through the pandemic. Their hard work has paid off as Mr. D's Donuts was named the #74 best donut shop in the country by Yelp. This huge accomplishment has been very exciting for not only the staff but for local donut lovers. 
 
Music by Victoria Ball 
Logo designed by Alex Cohn