DISH

THE GREATER KANSAS CITY RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

FEEDS THE SOULS OF ALL THOSE WHO FEED US

WRITTEN BY JUDY GOPPERT PHOTO BY JAMI BOWMAN

Pictured:

David Lopez, President of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and owner of Manny’s Mexican Restaurant

Through this pandemic, which has put a boundless amount of stress on restaurant owners, there has been a silent thread of strength making life a little more bearable.

Staying afloat has been quite the ride over the past year for restaurant owners and employees. David Lopez, president of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, has been at the helm through the storm. His father, Manny Lopez, was also president of the association, and since Manny passed six years ago, David has been operating Manny’s Mexican Restaurant.

“For us as an association, what was really important was to get out as much information as we possibly could through our constituents and members,” explains David. “Necessity is the mother of invention, and we adapted and invented new ways to assist.” For example, they helped businesses learn to apply for grants, navigate how to apply for the Payroll Protection Program, and learn to generate dollars through carryout.

“We are not just restauranteurs now, we are accountants and doctors. That is what makes our association so beautiful, so many high quality people. Failure is not an option,” David adds. “We value our staff and their families. These people are doing everything to get to the next day, week, and month. We are trying to support them as much as we possibly can.”

Tell us a brief history of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association

This association is at a national level, and the National Restaurant Association is a piece of the American machine. It actually started in KC over 100 years ago, when a group of gentlemen began working together to find better prices for eggs. The association has been serving the industry for decades.

What is happening now?

My father believed in it, and I am very proud to be a part of it. There is a lot of history connected with those of us who have been fortunate enough to be in this business. We do all we can to serve our industry and community and help the small restaurants learn all these things, such as how to apply for a liquor license, who needs a liquor card, how to work with the health department, legislation, and the minimum wage is going to be a part of it. The association gives us a voice, knowledge, and understanding in a very cool, connective way that spans through generations of owners.

How does the restaurant landscape look now?

Within our 100+ years we have never seen anything remotely like this. There is no playbook, no right answer, and it is uncharted territory. We will survive because of our willingness as an association to listen, to adapt, to value the very community we all depend upon to make a living and raise our families and keep our staff. We prioritize our communities.

Mayor Quinten Lucas has been fantastic and has handled it as well as he could. He listened, he reached out and talked to people in the industry and others. Because of that compromise and our willingness to value our community and life, we were able to stay open. Look at how big our Restaurant Week was! The way our community supports each other makes KC the greatest place on earth. I actually ran out of Monterey cheese dip at 8 p.m. on a Saturday!

What do things look like going forward?

People will continue to do takeout and want the quick service. That is going to be the next wave, and it will continue. Restaurants have been great at adapting as we slowly get back to normal, with normal business, with regular seating, catering, and private events. It is going to provide jobs and opportunities. It is a great gift that our industry can do that. I believe we will bounce back pretty quickly and begin hiring people and getting people back in the workforce and present new opportunities. That is the beauty of the restaurant industry. Going through this past year, it has shown us how resilient we can be if we hold each other up, and hold each other close.

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