This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Car No. 551 is a grab-and-go deli, bar and micro event venue built inside “Trolley Tom” — a 1947 PCC streetcar permanently parked at 426 Delaware St in the River Market. Owner William Jordan signed a three-year lease and built the space out in about 60 days after Donutology vacated, opening in September 2025. Deli sandwiches, barbecue, salads and weekend brunch by day, with smoked meats and kielbasa from Peter May’s House of Kielbasa, six specialty cocktails and local beer at night.

Description

Car No. 551 operates inside a decommissioned 1947 PCC streetcar parked at 426 Delaware Street in the River Market. The car ran Kansas City routes from 1947 to 1957, then served in Toronto and San Francisco before a stint at the Western Railway Museum. It returned to Kansas City in 1996, was displayed at Union Station, and was later moved to the River Market; owner Craig Slawson named it “Trolley Tom” after Tom Trabon, an early streetcar director and advocate.1

The streetcar has hosted several tenants. Made in KC ran a cafe and local-goods shop in it from 2020 to 2023, followed by Donutology from October 2023 to July 2025.1 William Jordan — who also runs the dessert-catering business Tasty Unicorn and Fountain City Printing — signed a three-year lease and completed the buildout in roughly 60 days, opening in September 2025.12 Ashley Adams was named acting bar manager and Hayley O’Connor leads operations.1

The format is deliberately double-shifted: a grab-and-go deli by day — sandwiches, barbecue, fresh salads, dessert, and weekend brunch, with smoked meats and kielbasa supplied by Peter May’s House of Kielbasa — turning at night into a bar and micro event venue for rotating seasonal experiences, pop-ups and private bookings.12 The opening drink program was six specialty cocktails plus local craft beer, with seasonal features such as a German tap for Oktoberfest.1 Seating is about a dozen to sixteen inside the car with additional patio seats.12

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Startland News — “River Market’s iconic ‘Trolley Tom’ reopening with grab-and-go deli menu, specialty cocktails” (August 2025) — asserts: owner William Jordan, who also operates Tasty Unicorn dessert catering and Fountain City Printing; Ashley Adams acting bar manager with 20 years’ experience; Hayley O’Connor leading operations; address 426 Delaware, River Market; circa-1947 Kansas City PCC streetcar that ran local routes 1947–1957, then Toronto and San Francisco, then the Western Railway Museum, returning to Kansas City in 1996 and displayed at Union Station before the River Market; named “Trolley Tom” by owner Craig Slawson after early streetcar director Tom Trabon; three-year lease and roughly 60-day buildout after Donutology (Oct 2023–July 2025) and Made in KC (2020–2023); mid-September 2025 target opening; tentative hours 10 a.m.–11:30 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday; grab-and-go deli with 13+ seats inside and 12+ on the patio; Sunday brunch; smoked meats and kielbasa from Peter May’s House of Kielbasa; six specialty cocktails, local craft beers and German beer on tap for Oktoberfest; night-time micro event venue for pop-ups and private events. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Visit KC — “New Restaurants and Bars to Savor This Fall in Kansas City” — asserts: Car No. 551 opened in September inside “Trolley Tom,” a 1947 former Kansas City streetcar now permanently parked and outfitted as a dining and retail space; grab-and-go barbecue, deli sandwiches, fresh salads, dessert and weekend brunch; seats about a dozen inside plus patio. (Accessed 2026-08-13.) ↩ ↩2 ↩3

See also

Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/car-no-551 · record updated 2026-08-13