The smells wafting from the hot kitchen behind the shoebox-size seating area of Mrs. R’s Cafe at 720 Quindaro Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas, evokes nostalgia, the sweet memory of home-cooked grits and greens that are staples of a Southern or country kitchen.
The red brick walls have a homey feel, lined with family pictures and awards given to the restaurant's namesake, Ruth Scover, who passed away in 2021. Her son, Eddie Scover, 54, has taken over the establishment and says Ms. R's is still one of the few places in Northeast Kansas City, Kansas, where one can get traditional soul food.
“Its other restaurants open up, but they ain't based on (traditional soul food),” said Scover. "They don't cook beans, they don't cook neck bones, they don't cook pig ears, none of that stuff. There's a lot of other people that still require that … they want that."
And with those traditional dishes in mind, Eddie Scover's mother opened Mrs. R’s Cafe out of a house in 1985, relying on pulling customers in by word of mouth. There was no advertising budget.
It's worked to keep the place running, her son said, but Black Restaurant Week provides a welcome boost. A total of 11 Black-owned restaurants, including Ms. R's Cafe, will feature unique deals to get customers in the door. The event is important not only to promote their cooking, but to say they're back in business after recent storms shut off power and downed trees across the area, keeping people off the streets. Mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Christal Watson endorsed the event in a citywide proclamation.
Scover's late mother was known as someone who cooked mouth-watering dishes and who would go all out when it came to holiday meals. Living in a small home with a big family, Eddie said his mother had to get used to cooking more with less.
“We weren't that fortunate growing up. (There) was a lot of poverty back then," Scover said. "And you just made meals out of whatever, whatever they had and it was delicious.”
Black Restaurant Week's participants will run specials between Sept. 7-13. Some meals will cost $9.13, a nod to the area code and 913 Day on Sept.13, a day Kansas City, Kansas, celebrates its diverse culture.
KCK Black Restaurant Week organizer Ken McClaine said Black entrepreneurship is rising in Kansas City, Kansas, and this week is designed to see that those small enterprises are properly acknowledged.
“We really have more entrepreneurs now that have gone through the process of getting brick-and-mortar stores so that's where we are right now," McClaine said. "We just wanted to shine some light on them, get some exposure to them, and help them out.”
McClaine said restaurants in Kansas City, Kansas, sometimes get less publicity than those on the Missouri side of the state line.
“We know that Kansas City, Missouri, gets a lot more exposure," he said, "you know, between all the media online and television. So, for us, it's not a competition. It's more or less a why not? Why can't we do this? “
Black Restaurant Week was going to happen anyway, but businesses affected by severe storms say it is coming at the right time. Some were without power for almost a week. Others, like Ms. R's, suffered property damage. The iconic Ms. R's Cafe outside sign was toppled by high winds.
Free Davis, owner of 1930 Classic Kitchen, another participant in Black restaurant week, also had problems.
“We couldn’t run our hood (kitchen vent), so we had to close down Saturday, and we had to close down Tuesday,” said Davis. “1930 is open every day of the week except Christmas. We have to keep our doors open because of our overhead. So, it affected us a lot, actually.”
Davis embraces any effort to support Black business.
“I mean, (at) 1930 all we do is support Black business from the people who cut the grass to our electricians, our plumbers, our food sources,” said Davis. “They all come from African American business owners. So, when it affects us, it also affects them. So that's what we feel like we do … that's all we got is each other, you know.”
In honor of Black Restaurant Week and 913 Day, Davis will sell a Po’boy-style sandwich with half a pound of fish on the side.
Scover also has a special on this week's menu at Mrs. R’s. He's bringing out one of his mother’s famous dishes at a discount.
“I'm gonna have a country-fried steak probably as a special (for) 913. Country fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. It's all going to be $9.13.”
Here is a list of the 11 participating restaurants in the first Kansas City Kansas, Black Restaurant Week:
- Mrs. R’s Cafe 720 Quindaro Blvd.
- 1930’s Classic Kitchen 1930 N 77th St.
- Wilson’s Pizza & Grill 1807 Quindaro Blvd.
- Holy Smoke BBQ 8050 8050 Leavenworth Rd.
- The Neighborhood Eats 2100 N. 13th St.
- Nana’s Kitchen 7355 Leavenworth Rd.
- Q13 Sports Bar & Grill 2724 N 13th St.
- Turkey Leggman 1916 Quindaro Blvd.
- Jones Bar-B-Q 6706 Kaw Dr.
- Fast Fred’s Market 1806 N 18th St.
- John’s Java & Jazz 2003 N 5th St.
