Jonathan Bender, a Kansas City-based Emmy Award-winning writer, has covered the barbecue scene for more than 15 years. He had the idea to open the Museum of BBQ in Kansas City in 2019, but the world had other plans. Now, five years later, he and his partner in this project, Alex Pope, the chef and owner of the Local Pig, are finally ready to bring their vision to life inside Crown Center by the spring of this year. It’s funded by private and corporate sponsorships. Opening on the second floor of Crown Center, the Museum of BBQ will interactively educate guests on the important elements it takes to make barbecue, including meat, spice, fire, smoke, and sauce, while also diving into the main American regions of barbecue—The Carolinas, Memphis, Texas, and of course, Kansas City. There will be ten installations that will educate, entertain, and engage people about how barbecue is made. The last stop will be a curated gift shop featuring rubs, sauces, and barbecue-themed goods from all the barbecue regions.