Restaurant opens inside Nebraska Furniture Mart

A new restaurant, the Blind Box BBQ, opened today inside Nebraska Furniture Mart.

According to a spokesman, the restaurant had a soft opening last week with its grand opening today at the store at 1601 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.

It is the second location for Blind Box BBQ, which has another location at 13214 W. 62nd Terrace, Shawnee, Kansas.

The 7,000-square-foot restaurant features a bar area with state-of-the-art audio and video for sports-watching and a patio for outdoor dining and drinking, the spokesman stated.

“We wanted to give our customers a place to land, to think about purchases and to have a better experience overall,” said Ethan Stover, store director of NFM’s Kansas City location, in a news release. “Our store is 450,000 square feet, so sometimes you just need to rest. If you want to get some fresh air, there’s a patio, or if you want to hang out inside and watch the game, there are multiple TVs.”

Customers can also purchase a glass of wine or beer at the bar and sip while they shop the rest of the store.

“This is a unique experience you can’t get anywhere else in Kansas City,” Stover said.

The menu will feature signature barbecued items such as pulled pork, beef brisket, burnt ends and smoked sausage as well as non-barbecue items. Customers can also order espresso drinks or homemade pastries or desserts from the coffee bar. A full bar will serve wine, beer, signature cocktails and whiskey flights.

“We believe NFM shares the same values we do – to create the absolute best customer experience while delivering a superior product,” said Joe Tulipana, owner-iperator of Blind Box BBQ. “We are thrilled to be able to appeal to both Kansas City shoppers and visitors alike, elevating their experience with delicious barbecue and libations.”

The Pressed Pig (Coffee and Pastry) inside NFM will be open from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Blind Box BBQ being open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Sunday’s both The Pressed Pig and Blind Box BBQ will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Previously, there was a Quizno’s sandwich shop at NFM.

Shoppers out in full force for Black Friday sales

Not very many empty parking spaces were visible around 9:25 a.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at The Legends Outlets near I-70 and I-435 in Kansas City, Kansas. While few empty space were visible here, there were still many parking spaces available on the second and third levels of the Legends parking garage on Friday morning. The Legends gave away 200 VIP bags filled with samples, treats and coupons at 6 a.m. Friday, and will give away another 200 bags to the first 200 people in line at 1 p.m. at the VIP headquarters, between Soma Intimates and Go! Calendars, Games and Toys at the west end of the shopping center. The Legends also will have a prize wheel at the VIP headquarters from 1 to 3 p.m. (Staff photo)
Shoppers crowded into The Legends Outlets this morning for Black Friday sales. (Staff photo)
Shoppers crowded into The Legends Outlets this morning for Black Friday sales. (Staff photo)
Walmart at 108th and Parallel Parkway was crowded with shoppers on Black Friday morning. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Walmart at 108th and Parallel Parkway was crowded with shoppers on Black Friday morning. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Nebraska Furniture Mart at 1601 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, was crowded with shoppers on Black Friday, although it was a foggy morning. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Cabela’s at 10300 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas, also was crowded with shoppers on Black Friday morning. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Kohl’s at 107th and Parallel Parkway was crowded with shoppers on Black Friday morning. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Shoppers were lined up outside the Budweiser Brewhouse at Children’s Mercy Park, 1 Sporting Way, Kansas City, Kansas, where there were Black Friday sales on Sporting KC items. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Target at 10900 Stadium Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, was a popular place for Black Friday shoppers. (Photo by Christine Rupert)
Penney’s at 10904 Stadium Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, was busy on Black Friday, and had a radio station broadcast tent in front of it. (Photo by Christine Rupert)