Doughnuts and pastries are coming to Kansas City streetcar — no, not that one

David Hudnall
·2 min read

Westport doughnut shop Donutology is taking the train downtown — sort of.

The Made in KC Café that occupies the vintage restored streetcar parked at the corner of Delaware and Fifth streets in the River Market will close permanently this Sunday.

The trolley keys will then be passed to Donutology owner Andrew Cameron, who plans to open a second location of his shop there in early August.

“There’s not a lot of doughnut options near downtown,” Cameron said. “And we love how walkable and vibrant the River Market is.”

The previous owner of seven Daylight Donuts stores in the area, Cameron opened Donutology in 2016 at 1009 Westport Road. The shop sells the classics (bear claws, long johns, cake doughnuts) alongside customizable mini doughnuts that can be topped with options like Fruity Pebbles, graham cracker crumbs and bacon.

Andrew Cameron opened Donutology in Westport in 2016. He previously owned several Daylight Donuts locations in the metro.
Andrew Cameron opened Donutology in Westport in 2016. He previously owned several Daylight Donuts locations in the metro.

Made in KC, which operates dozens of shops and cafes across the metro, opened its trolley car location in 2020, serving locally roasted coffee and pastries. The car previously ran along Kansas City’s streetcar routes from 1947 to 1957, was restored and is now owned by Denver-based Epoch Developments, which also owns several buildings in the area. It is nicknamed “Trolley Tom,” after the prominent River Market redeveloper and streetcar advocate Tom Trabon, who died in 2016.

Keith Bradley, co-owner of Made in KC, said his company has partnered with Donutology in the past and is happy to see them taking over the lease.

“We’ve carried their doughnuts and DIY Donut Kits in our shops for about five years,” said Bradley. “So if you liked coming to the cafe for your regular cup of coffee, you can still get that, but now with this extra hook of doughnuts.”

Cameron said the River Market menu will be pretty much the same as at Westport, with one exception: The trolley car has an existing liquor license. “So we will be adding some fun doughnut-themed cocktails and pairings.”

Once opened, hours will be 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., “when the weather’s nice,” Cameron said.