Since Rosa Parra started managing Stone Canyon Pizza Co. in downtown Parkville six years ago, she had her eye on a corner building across the street.
Restaurants came and went in that spot.
“I thought Parkville deserved better,” says Parra, who lives 10 minutes from the downtown district. “We are a tight community, we all know each other.”
The last restaurant tenant closed a few months ago, when Parra was in Mexico taking care of her parents, who were in ill health.
When she returned, she signed a lease for K-Tacos & More with her husband, Guillermo Ramos. He has operated a Kansas City, Kansas, restaurant with his brother for 14 years.
They spent a month renovating the space in colors inspired by the Kansas City Current – a shout-out to women being in charge, Parra says.
A local artist did the murals – a large Day of the Dead skull, flowers and Alebrijes – Mexican spirit animals including a long-tailed cat, a bright yellow armadillo and a coiled snake. Soon the artist will add a portrait of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
K-Tacos & More, serving street tacos, of course, offers much more and opened in mid-September at 10 Main St.
“The community knows who I am and are very excited,” Parra says. “They say, ‘We need you here.’ I’m very grateful.”
The menu:
All-day breakfast including huevos rancheros, Cali-burrito (eggs with chorizo, potatoes and pico de gallo); huevos with chorizo and ham; and Huevos a la Mexicana (eggs, tomatoes, jalapenos and onions), all served with rice and beans.
Lunch includes specials such as the Speedy Gonzales (crispy tacos, enchilada, rice and beans for $7.99) with a choice of ground beef or shredded chicken.
Dinner menu: Plates include chicken or steak with shrimp; chicken with chorizo and salsa; grilled shrimp; enchiladas; and grilled chicken breast topped with chorizo and white cheese dip.
It also has street tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, salads, Mexi-fries, tostada de ceviche, and a children’s menu.
The most popular orders so far are the street tacos, the Cali-burrito and the huevos rancheros, Parra says. They are waiting on their liquor license.
Hours: 11 am to 9 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 11 am to 8 pm, Sundays. It is closed Mondays.
Parra was born and raised in Acapulco, Mexico, and moved to California when she was 19. She has lived in Kansas City for 16 years and became a citizen six years ago.
She has been in the restaurant business for 20 years, starting as a server, then bartender and manager.
When she was a single mom of three, the server position allowed her to be with her kids in the morning, then pick them up after school, have dinner and then head back to work.
“It gave me time to be a parent,” she says. “My journey in the restaurant business has been one of the most rewarding experiences. There is a beauty in it that some people don’t see.”
Teenagers who worked for her, went off to college and came back to take “big jobs,” she says.
“They come back and say I taught them to be responsible,” Parra says. “Restaurant jobs teach you to have people skills, multi-tasking, how to deal with angry customers. You have to make solutions on the spot.”
