The Hump! Podcast Ep. 24: Dreaming of the Iron District with Rachel Kennedy

Welcome to The Hump! Podcast …. In episode 24 of The Hump! Podcast: Dreaming of the Iron District … hosts Brent Bowen and Chad Beland offer take two (lost forever in the archives) with Plantain District Owner and Co-Owner of the Iron District Rachel Kennedy. Scott Cameron of Beyond The Grey joins as a test musical guest (trying to show some love to artists folks).

The fellas continue season 2 (safely from the confines of their respective homes using Squadcast.fm) chatting about how the coronavirus affects different local businesses. In fact, Brent has a podcast studio at the Iron District set to open before the pandemic hit. So, Brent and Chad invited Co-Owner Rachel discusses how the Iron District vendors are adapting — including some offering curbside pickup and delivery — they’ve launched new Container Club memberships (where you help now with the promise of a great time later), they plan on a grand re-opening party once all this madness is over.

And this episode’s Triple D: Yeah. It’s coronavirus related, too. And seriously?

Fellas @CMBKC1 & @Splitlegend talk w/ Iron District & Plantain District’s Rachel Kennedy about awesome memberships that help small business during #coronavirus 🎙The Hump! #Podcast Ep. 24.

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The Hump! Podcast Episode 24 Show Notes – Dreaming of the Iron District

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In Ep. 24 of The Hump! Podcast, Brent & Chad Interview Rachel Kennedy from Iron District

The Hump Ep. 24 Rachel Kennedy Iron District — In episode 24, the fellas chat with Iron District Co-Owner Rachel Kennedy and Beyond The Grey guitarist Scott Cameron

First … the fellas keep things local with Boulevard beers … Brent drinks Chill Vibes and is concerned about cucumber indigestion, Chad drinks a Pale Ale staple.

Then the fellas discuss how to help local restaurants, businesses like Iron District, Blip Roasters …

Brent checks in with Chad about Blip Roasters and the auction/raffle. They chatted about Blip in episode 23. Blip has been immediately forced to shut down both locations and lay off all staff.
Their guest, Rachel has been the long-time proprietor of the Plantain District, named one of the best cuban restaurants in the country (number 15) of top 25.
In October, she soft launched an outdoor entertainment and food district in North Kansas City. It’s called the Iron District.
Iron District is a collection of vendors, retail, eateries, and they are all set up in their own shipping containers. There are 18 containers total, in an outdoor courtyard. Concept came from wanting the next step from a food truck but not a brick and morter (“it wasn’t on the radar for us”), so the idea came of a shipping container then a destination of shipping containers.
Name Iron District came from, iron- iron street (Iron District is located on 16th and Iron Street in NKC), district- plantain district
How Rachel is trying small businesses, entrepreurs with the Iron District — Business owners are able to get into their own space without a bunch of upfront money. They rent out their containers with a 12-month lease and they pay month-to-month. The Iron District also worked with local leaders to offer business owners monthly classes on legal, accounting, taxes, marketing, forecasting.
Iron District was going to have its grand re-opening March 14. Restrictions have gotten stronger and stronger and they’ve adjusted along the way to comply. Vendors are ready to reopen, but really can’t.
To help the vendors, the Iron District launched the Container Club Membership program. A person can buy into one of three membership levels: A VIP package with private parties and discounts, then two other levels with other deals. A celebration, music, food, merch discounts, all the details are listed on website. We don’t know when the party will be, but it’s in the horizon.
New additions to the Iron District, include a craft beer bar on the second level, on top of one of the containers

At Home … With Our Guests, Rachel Kennedy and Scott Cameron

Rachel also has a dietetics degree, so her kids eat very well-rounded meals (not just Cuban sandwiches as the fellas might have believed)
What is the one failed delivery item causing stress?
Brent: Bananas – order 6 pounds and lucky to get 3 pounds
Rachel: Eggs – cant find eggs anywhere or has to spend $8 on them, so she has been rationing (Brent offers solution of carton egg whites)
Chad: No issues — may be getting further and further from normal so he has been scared he might have to do some swaps (though Chad thought teriyaki broccoli sounded okay in lieu of cheese and broccoli)
Scott Cameron from Beyond the Grey (he joined the call early so the fellas included him): No issues — be leery of substitutions, certain things are out of stock that you’d think they’d have
On that note, Chad offers how the grocery stores are proposing interesting items as alternatives for what you originally had in your cart: For example, Costco — No chicken breasts, but is popcorn okay?
Follow Iron District on Facebook, Instagram and their website to see what Iron District is about and what vendors offer
And if you didn’t get a chance to join the Kansas City Young Audiences live Facebook showcase, you can still show them and their teaching artists some love. Donate at kcya.org

The Hump! Podcast’s First Music Guest — Scott Cameron, Beyond The Grey

The fellas invite Scott Cameron, friend of the program, to perform a song. He is a guitarist for a KC hard rock band Beyond The Grey. They will soon release a new video for their track, “Men of War.”
Because of the pandemic and all we have to deal with, Scott chose to play a cover of “Good” by Better Than Ezra … because it’s relatively “upbeat and the lyrics go with staying home.”
Scott’s mic gave out about half way through the performance, so it’s just and excerpt.
The fellas will have Scott and a BTG bandmate back to talk awesome things they’re doing.

And This Episode’s Game of “Triple D” …

To close out The Hump! Podcast … Brent and Chad play a quick round of Triple D.

What’s Triple D?

They throw out a scenario … and discuss whether it’s a DICK, DOUCHE or DUMBASS move …

This week’s Triple D move — What do you call a restaurant worker who is serving food, but not wearing gloves and says “I really don’t believe in this silly pandemic thing”?

We discuss and debate on the show, but feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments (keep it clean folks, as they reserve the right to delete any personal attacks or defamatory information).

You Can Catch The Hump! Live

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They’ll publish the replays on Facebook and places where good audio can be found (see below platforms — and not saying they’re good, but they’ll slum along greatness).