Al-Habashi Mart

Al-Habashi Mart is a Yemeni-family-owned halal Middle Eastern grocery at Kansas City’s Historic City Market, founded in April 1992 — one of the longest-running immigrant-owned independent grocers in the metro and the root from which the adjacent Habashi House restaurant grew.

Description

Al-Habashi Mart is a halal Middle Eastern specialty grocery in the Historic City Market (River Market district) of Kansas City, Missouri, operating continuously at 311 Main St since April 1992.¹² The store carries halal meats, an extensive bulk-spice selection, dried fruits, nuts, and imported pantry staples from across the Middle East and Mediterranean — the range of stock that Yemeni, Syrian, Iraqi, and other Arab-American households need to cook from scratch at home.³¹ A signature feature is fresh pita bread baked daily on-site (closed Mondays), along with prepared items including baklava and baba ganoush.³

The mart has served as far more than a grocery. A 2014 KCUR profile found that Al-Habashi Mart functioned as the social hub of Kansas City’s Arab-American community — a place where patrons from across the Middle Eastern diaspora gathered to shop for foods from home, share news, and maintain community ties during years of regional conflict in Syria and the broader Middle East.¹ That community function has remained central to the store’s identity for over three decades.

Hours are Tuesday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (closed Monday and Sunday). Phone: (816) 421-6727.²³

Ownership and history

Al-Habashi Mart was founded in April 1992 by Tawfiq and Salha Al-habashi, a Yemeni immigrant couple who moved to the United States and settled in Kansas City.¹ The family opened the grocery in the Historic City Market, positioning it at one of KC’s most storied public market sites. Eight years after the mart’s success was established, the family opened Habashi House — a sit-down Middle Eastern restaurant immediately adjacent — in May 2000, creating a combined retail-and-dining presence at the Market.¹⁴

By 2014, Ahmad Alhabashi — a second-generation family member — was managing Al-Habashi Mart, representing family continuity across at least two generations in Kansas City.¹ The store has operated for 34 years at the same City Market address, making it one of the longest-tenured immigrant-family-owned independent grocers in the metropolitan area.

Links

• City Market directory: https://thecitymarketkc.org/merchants/alhabashi-mart/
• River Market association: https://kcrivermarket.com/member/habashi-house/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/alhabashi-mart-kansas-city
• Phone: (816) 421-6727

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

1. KCUR — “Kansas City Grocery Store Provides A Piece Of Home To Middle Eastern Community” — https://www.kcur.org/community/2014-10-09/kansas-city-grocery-store-provides-a-piece-of-home-to-middle-eastern-community — published 2014-10-09 — Asserts: Al-habashi Mart founded April 1992 by Tawfiq and Salha Al-habashi; family moved to US in 1980; Ahmad Alhabashi is manager (second generation); store serves as Arab-American community hub during Syrian/Middle Eastern regional conflict; adjacent Habashi House opened May 2000 after the mart’s success. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. Yelp — “Alhabashi Mart,” 311 Main St, Kansas City, MO — https://www.yelp.com/biz/alhabashi-mart-kansas-city — accessed 2026-06-08 (details via search summary, direct fetch returned 403) — Asserts: address 311 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64105; Grocery category; hours Tue–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 8am–5pm; phone (816) 421-6727; updated February 2026 with 11 reviews; active listing. ↩ ↩²

3. City Market KC — “Alhabashi Mart” — https://thecitymarketkc.org/merchants/alhabashi-mart/ — accessed 2026-06-08 — Asserts: Middle Eastern grocery in City Market; halal meats, bulk spices, nuts, dried fruits; fresh pita baked daily (except Mondays); baklava and baba ganoush available; active tenant listing. ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Habashi House official site — https://www.habashihouse.com/ — accessed 2026-06-08 — Asserts: “family-owned and operated Habashi House restaurant opened in May of 2000 after the success of the adjacent Al-Habashi Mart grocery store.” ↩