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The Real Holiday Inn 🎄

A Kansas City hotel was named among the most festive holiday hotels in the U.S.

Awards

The Westin Kansas City Named Among Most Festive Hotels in the U.S.

The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center

The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center was named among the 14 Most Festive Holiday Hotels in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

  • Holiday Inn: The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center sits in the heart of Kansas City’s holiday hotspot. The hotel overlooks the all-new Hallmark Christmas Experience and the Mayor’s Tree, offers holiday-themed guest rooms, and connects to Holiday Reflections at Union Station via a skywalk.

  • Christmas Classics: The hotel was honored among some of the best holiday hotels across the country. Other nominees include The Plaza Hotel in New York City (all thanks to Kevin McAllister) and Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. Check out the full list to see which hotels you've stayed at!

Looking for a last-minute Christmas staycation? Book a Hallmark Christmas Experience Hotel Package HERE!

Food and Drink

Drew Brees-Backed Slider Chain Coming to Kansas City Metro

Smalls Sliders

Smalls Sliders, a fast-casual burger chain backed by ex-NFL quarterback Drew Brees, will soon open its first Kansas City metro location.

  • Small Burgers, Small Space: The Atlanta-based chain is hosting a “can drop” ceremony tomorrow at 704 Mock Ave. in Blue Springs. Construction will move quickly as the concepts are housed in 750-square-foot orange shipping containers and only offer drive-thru and walk-up service.

  • Slide On In: Since 2019, the simple menu at Smalls Sliders has built quite a loyal following among burger lovers. It offers sliders, fries, and milkshakes; and that’s it! The franchise currently operates over 20 locations, with hundreds more in development across the country.

Smalls Sliders expects to open in Blue Springs in early 2025.

(Re)Opening

Pawn & Pint to Reopen After Recent Closure

Reb Valentine/The Pitch

Nerds, unite! The beloved downtown board game cafe Pawn and Pint won’t close after all!

  • Short Goodbye: After a recent announcement stating that November 30th would be the cafe’s last day, a new ownership group stepped in to resurrect the concept in the same location. The group, dubbed For Nerds, LLC, consists of longtime patrons and a former Pawn & Pint bartender.

  • Game Goes On: According to a post on Pawn & Pint’s Facebook page, the cafe will remain closed for a bit to “deep clean, check the lights, and restock”. We can’t wait to get our hands on a beer and dive into one of the 1,000+ games on the wall!

There is no reopening date yet, but follow along with Pawn & Pint on Facebook to stay up to date.

Community

Harvester’s Kicks Off Food Drive in Chiefs Kingdom

Harvester’s

On Tuesday morning, volunteers gathered outside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to put together Holiday Food Boxes.

  • Good Food: The food drive aims to feed roughly 340,000 people across the Kansas City area. This event is gathering donations of nonperishable food items at KC-area Hy-Vee locations and will accept monetary donations at the stadium prior to the Chiefs vs. Texans game on December 21st.

  • Good Company: The event, which was hosted by Harvester’s Community Food Network and Hy-Vee, featured special guests from the Red Kingdom, including Chiefs Center Creed Humphrey, Chiefs Cheerleaders, and KC Wolf. Together, they put together thousands of food boxes for folks that are food insecure in our region.

Learn more about Harvester’s and how you can help them provide food to our community HERE. 

KC Daily Picks

In Other News…

  • ⚽️ Soccer News: KC2026 has launched a quarterly email newsletter that will provide exclusive updates on the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City. The next newsletter is coming on December 18th, so sign up now!

  • 🥅 Speaking of Soccer…: Sporting KC will kick off the 2025 season against international superstar Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF. The match takes place at Children’s Mercy Park on February 4th as a part of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

  • 🏗️ Coming Soon: The Overland Park Planning Commission voted 11-0 to approve a mixed-use apartment and retail project at 80th and Metcalf in downtown Overland Park.

  • 🐟 Seven Fishes: If you’ve watched FX’s The Bear, you know about The Feast of Seven Fishes. Two Kansas City restaurants will be offering the traditional Italian-American meal before Christmas Day.

  • 🩺 Leader in Health: After an eight-month national search, Children’s Mercy Kansas City has selected a new CEO. Dr. Alejandro Quiroga, a pediatric nephrologist and healthcare leader, will assume the position on January 2nd.

  • 📣 2025 Sponsorships: Promote your business to 21,417 of the coolest people in Kansas City—if you’re reading this, then you’re one of ‘em! Fill out this short form, and we’ll connect with you about advertising opportunities with KC Daily.

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