We are often asked, “Why are there 2 Town Topics so close together?” (19th and Baltimore, 20th and Broadway).

There actually used to be SIX Town Topics in downtown Kansas City, opened mainly from the late 1930s-mid 1950s. Claude Sparks located the restaurants next to the downtown streetcar stops. He knew people might want to grab a bite to eat when they got off the street car before going to work, or maybe get some dinner before they went home. The street car stops were close to each other, so the Town Topics were close to each other, too. It was a much different time when most businesses were downtown, and everyone lived and worked close by.

Let us know if you have other questions, and we’ll try to answer them in future posts!

Mike Schwabauer Photography