Black-owned shoe store returns to Kansas City, from Independence, after multiple break-ins
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A black-owned business in Kansas City is trying to bounce back years after getting broken into. After a year in Independence, the owner of the Shoe Verdict shoe store says he’s ready to come back home to Kansas City at a new storefront on East 12th Street and Brooklyn Avenue.
“I wanna make an impact where I grew up in, where I was once a student and, same person walking these same streets,” said Shoe Verdict store owner KJ Farmer.
Farmer says he’s a Kansas City native and no stranger to setbacks.
“We started our business in 2020 which is the pandemic so we dealt with COVID and all of the different things that were going on, dealing with the break-ins you know and this community has rallied behind us, so it helped us get through a lot.”
During a three-year-run at this storefront on 55th St. and Troost Avenue, his store got broken into twice. The thieves made off with 200 pairs of sneakers.
“Everybody’s like, oh you have insurance but a lot of times when you’re breaking windows or doing this, it costs more to pay the deductible for insurance than just coming out of pocket to pay for it.”
The expense of replacing inventory and damages forced him to relocate 25 minutes away to Independence. Although he didn’t experience break-ins at his most recent location, having to rebuild his clientele from scratch did affect his business financially.
“I took three years building up the foot traffic on 55th and Troost, and now having to leave there and get foot traffic 25 minutes away, it took a drastic hit,” said Farmer.
After a year in Independence, Farmer says he’s ready to turn his setback into a comeback by coming back to Kansas City. He’s doing things differently though with security enhancements like a pull-down gate to prevent future thefts.
Contractors say this could cost at least $20,000.
“It’s hard being a business owner. People just see the glitter and glory of selling shoes and things like that, but not the overhead costs and the expenses to maintain, and when business is not going good,” said Farmer.
As he makes the transition back home he’s hoping to make a difference in the city he grew up in.
“We’re g a three year lease, so we’re looking to find home and this is gonna be home for us,” he said.
Farmer tells KCTV5 he’s in the early stages of his transition to his new Kansas City storefront. More details can be found on the store’s GoFundMe.
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