‘Barbecue is meant to be shared’: The world’s first BBQ Museum will be in KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City barbecue is already on the map, but a new BBQ museum coming to Crown Center will allow the rest of the world to learn about America’s favorite outdoor cooking pastime.

The Museum of BBQ will be located on the second level, next door to Chip’s Chocolate Factory and it will separate the styles into four rooms; the Carolinas, Memphis, Texas and the largest room will be reserved for Kansas City.

Museum Founder Jonathan Bender is planning to open up the 4,223 sq ft. experience in the Spring of 2025.

Bender has written about barbecue for more than 15 years and is an Emmy Award-winning writer. He’s also the creator of a 30-minute documentary about Kansas City’s signature barbecue dish, burnt ends, named “Burnt Legend.”

“The goal was to take what is already so intrinsically linked with Kansas City, and bring it to life in a space as iconic as Crown Center, and to celebrate it,” Bender said. “Barbecue is meant to be shared. It’s meant to be experienced together, and this museum is designed to help you connect with both the elements and the regions of barbecue, of which Kansas City is the epicenter.”

Besides highlighting the different regions of barbeque, the museum will also focus on the elements of Kansas City’s food passion – meat, rub/spice, wood, fire, smoke and sauce.

“Kansas City Barbecue is actually a lot of things – it’s a melting pot of different influences, but there’s two hallmarks,” Bender said. “One of which is tomato and molasses – those are classic flavors in Kansas City Barbecue sauce. The other is burnt ends – it’s the iconic dish of Kansas City Barbecue, those charred bits at the end of the brisket that are crispy on the outside, melty on the inside.”

While the museum won’t be opening until the Spring of 2025 the museum plans to be a part of the Hallmark Christmas experience that is taking place between November and December at the Crown Center Plaza.

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.