Besos y Abrazos

of-town district operator. Tier 3 (disclosure overlay).

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Description

Besos y Abrazos opened March 21, 2025 on the KC Live! Block of the Power & Light District, as the centerpiece new concept of a $10 million renovation of KC Live! by The Cordish Companies.¹² It operates as a modern Latin American restaurant by day and a nightclub (DJs, VIP bottle service) Thursday–Sunday evenings, with a tequila/mezcal-forward cocktail program.¹³

Ownership disclosure: Besos is a Cordish / KC Live! in-house concept. The Cordish Companies — the privately held, Baltimore-headquartered developer that builds and operates the Power & Light District — brought the concept to market; the opening was announced by the president of the KC Power & Light District (the Cordish-run entity), not by an independent local proprietor.¹²⁴ Local culinary talent ≠ local ownership: the menu was created by Kansas City chef Joe Shirley (of the Überdine pop-up), but he is credited strictly as the menu’s creator, not as an owner or operator.¹

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Ownership and history

Ownership

Period	Operator	Notes
2025 → present	The Cordish Companies / KC Live! (Power & Light District)	Out-of-town developer-operator (Baltimore HQ, founded 1910). Besos is an in-house district concept; KC chef Joe Shirley created the menu.241

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Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-23 · Source: Power & Light District official listing + aggregator/press coverage · URL(s): https://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/eat-and-drink/besos-y-abrazos · Confidence: Medium (categories & dishes well-sourced; itemized food prices not publicly verifiable)

The menu is a modern, shareable take on Latin/Pan-Latin cuisine — small plates designed for exploration — curated by Kansas City chef Joe Shirley (Überdine), with a tequila/mezcal-forward cocktail program.³¹⁵ Service skews dinner/late-night, with a Sunday brunch (11 a.m.–4 p.m.) and weekday happy hour.⁶³

Signature shareables & small plates

• Brazilian Cheese Bread — charred tomatillo crema, cool ranch.³⁶⁵
• Yellowfin/Bluefin Tuna Tostadas — avocado, leche de tigre.³⁶⁵
• Charred Octopus — crispy potato, aji amarillo butter.³⁶
• Corn Salad — corn, avocado, plantain.⁵
• Quesadilla — pork, pickled vegetables.⁵
• Empanadas and Arancini (shareable apps).⁵⁶

Tacos

• Tempura Lobster Tacos — pineapple habanero.³⁶
• Steak Tacos and Lobster Tacos.⁶

Cocktails & bar (tequila/mezcal-forward)

• Spicy Watermelon Margarita, Paloma, and a rotating Sangria selection, alongside an expansive mezcal/tequila list.⁵³

Happy hour & specials

• Happy Hour (Tue–Fri, 4–7 p.m.): $5 domestic & Mexican imports, $6 house wine, $8 cocktails, 50% off select shareables.⁶³
• Las Chicas nights (Thu, 9–11 p.m.) and Sunday brunch (11 a.m.–4 p.m.).⁶

Note: Besos publishes no itemized food-price menu online (the official “view menu” link resolves to the Power & Light District listing, which states the menu prose but no per-dish prices), and the restaurant is not listed on DoorDash/Toast/Uber Eats with prices. Dish names and descriptions above are verified against the official listing and corroborating press/aggregator coverage; individual food prices are and only the happy-hour drink prices are sourced. Menu rotates.

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Sources

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Disputes

(None active.)

Links

• Instagram (primary web presence): https://www.instagram.com/besoskc/

Footnotes

1. KCTV5 — “Latin dining, nightlife concept opens on Kansas City Live! Block.” (2025-03-21). https://www.kctv5.com/2025/03/21/latin-dining-nightlife-concept-opens-kansas-city-live-block/ — asserts: opened March 21, 2025; Cordish/Power & Light District concept (announced by district president John Moncke); menu created by KC chef Joe Shirley (Überdine); 1323 Walnut. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. REBusinessOnline — “Cordish Cos. Unveils Plans for $10M Renovation of Kansas City Live!” https://rebusinessonline.com/cordish-cos-unveils-plans-for-10m-renovation-of-kansas-city-live-entertainment-destination/ — asserts: Cordish develops/operates KC Live!; Besos centerpiece of the $10M refresh. ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Power & Light District — Besos y Abrazos listing. https://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/eat-and-drink/besos-y-abrazos — asserts: Latin menu + programming; signature dishes; in-district venue. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. Wikipedia — The Cordish Companies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cordish_Companies — asserts: HQ Baltimore, MD (Pratt Street Power Plant); privately/family-held; “Live!” proprietary brand. ↩ ↩²

5. Nova Circle — Besos y Abrazos menu listing. https://www.novacircle.com/spots/north-america/united-states/missouri/kansas-city/kansas-city-mo/besos-y-abrazos-56af18/menu — asserts: signature dishes (bluefin tuna tostada w/ leche de tigre, Brazilian cheese bread, corn salad w/ corn-avocado-plantain, pork quesadilla w/ pickled veg, empanadas); drinks (spicy watermelon margarita, paloma, sangrias). No itemized prices. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. FOX4 KC — “New Latin restaurant, night club opens in Kansas City’s Power & Light.” https://fox4kc.com/news/new-latin-restaurant-night-club-opens-in-kansas-citys-power-light/ — asserts: signature dishes (Brazilian cheese bread, tuna tostadas, charred octopus, tempura lobster tacos, steak/lobster tacos, arancini); happy hour Tue–Fri 4–7pm ($5 imports, $6 house wine, $8 cocktails, 50% select shareables); Las Chicas nights; Sunday brunch 11–4. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹