KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Related video above: KC Streetcar expansion paving new trail in long history
It’s a familiar sight in Kansas City’s River Market, but restaurant owners say that fact hasn’t helped business.
The owners of Car No. 551 on Delaware Street announced the restaurant’s closure in a post on Facebook.
The restaurant, which sits inside a restored 1940s Kansas City Streetcar at the corner of Delaware Street and West 5th Street, opened in September 2025. Its closure marks just over a year in business.
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“We set out to create something unique,” owners said in the Facebook post. “A place with character, history, great food, cold drinks, and a welcoming atmosphere.”
The post goes on to say that the reality of operating a small, independently owned restaurant has become increasingly difficult.
“Between a struggling economy, rising food costs, increasing operating expenses, and customers having less disposable income, small businesses in the food industry are fighting an uphill battle,” the post said.
Then, owners went on to cite what they call Kansas City’s “aggressive, seemingly relentless” parking enforcement and “frustrating parking policies.”
“When customers have to worry about finding affordable parking or getting ticketed just to enjoy lunch, dinner, or a drink in the River Market, it hurts the very small businesses that help make this neighborhood special,” owners said. “Small businesses need support from their city, not additional obstacles to overcome.”
The post went on to thank customers and staff members before imploring the city to take a “harder look at what it takes for small, locally owned businesses to survive.”
Prior to becoming a restaurant, Made in KC operated a Kansas City memorabilia store in that location followed, briefly, by Donutology, which was targeted in multiple burglaries at that location.
Dining and Cooking