The chicken joint tucked inside Vine Street Brewing has closed its kitchen for good, ending a nine-month run that began as a bet on World Cup foot traffic in Kansas City's 18th and Vine Jazz District. Vine Street Chicken Co. served its final plates on Nov. 7, leaving the brewery at 2010 Vine St. without a food vendor for the first time since the concept opened.
A Partnership Born for the World Cup
Vine Street Chicken Co. opened inside Vine Street Brewing Co. in February, the product of a partnership between chef Justin Clark and brewery co-founder Kemet Coleman, according to The Kansas City Star. Clark, who also runs the Troost Avenue restaurant Urban, brought the concept to the brewery, and Kansas City Magazine described the pairing as Clark partnering with Coleman, who is also known locally as a musician. The menu leaned into fried-chicken basics, serving wings, tenders and sandwiches to brewery patrons.
When the concept was first announced, KCUR reported that the planned lineup would include chicken sandwiches, half chickens, legs, thighs and tenders. The timing was no accident — the restaurant said it opened as an amenity for Vine Street Brewing meant to support Kansas City during the 2026 World Cup, intended to serve both locals and visitors during the tournament's festivities, per the same Star report.
No Replacement Lined Up Yet
Coleman confirmed Vine Street Chicken's departure by text message, the Star reported, and said no new food operator or timeline had been announced for the kitchen space. The brewery plans to work with its landlord on what comes next for that space, though the closure won't affect Vine Street Brewing's normal operations — the business currently has no food vendor on site, and guests are welcome to bring their own food to pair with the brewery's beers in the meantime.
Vine Street Brewing remains the anchor tenant at 2000 Vine Street, and it wants food to stay part of the experience at 18th and Vine going forward, according to the Star's reporting. For now, though, exactly what fills that role — and when — is still an open question.
Pop-Ups Could Keep the Concept Alive
Vine Street Chicken Co. indicated the brand may continue through pop-up events rather than disappearing entirely, asking social media followers to watch for future appearances, the Star reported. The Kansas City Star said it contacted Vine Street Chicken by email but received no response before publication.
The closure comes after a mixed showing for World Cup-related business along Troost Avenue more broadly. The Beacon reported in July that Troost business owners largely shrugged off the lack of a World Cup sales bump, since they never expected a windfall in the first place. Clark told the outlet his own experience at Urban was mixed — he saw some visitors from other countries, but not many — while he believed Vine Street Chicken actually pulled in more World Cup business than Urban, attributing that to its location being a little closer to the action near Union Station.
Clark also told The Beacon that World Cup hype led him and his partner to make small investments ahead of the tournament, like printing menus in different languages and adding staff, and that those costs added up. Kansas City Magazine had noted Vine Street Chicken's arrival at the brewery back in June, framing it as part of the brewery's push to become a neighborhood hub for 18th and Vine. Whether the concept resurfaces as a pop-up, and when a new kitchen tenant might take its place, remains unresolved.
