Crown prime location: How two KC foodies are creating Museum of BBQ in one of the worlds barbecue capitals [Video]

A new museum — showcasing Kansas City as a barbecue capital of the world, as well as how meat takes on its famous flavors — is set to open in spring 2025 the Crown Center Shops, led by two veterans of the local food scene.

The aptly named Museum of BBQ is expected to offer a taste of “everything barbecue,” playing off the rich legacy of a hometown sauced with more than 90 barbecue restaurants, said Jonathan Bender, a cookbook author and food editor who teamed with Local Pig chef restaurateur Alex Pope on the venture.

The duo is taking over a 4,223-square-foot space at 2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 231, in the Crown Center Shops that previously housed Kansas City retailer Function Junction, which closed the location this summer.

“We saw this as a natural fit, for kids and adults to experience it together,” Bender said. “Pairing Kansas City’s iconic food with an iconic …