Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association
About the GKCRA
Members sit on regulatory and advisory boards holding interests of the hospitality industry in Kansas City. Members also regularly visit elected officials in Jefferson City and Topeka to advocate on behalf of the restaurant industry. The GKCRA works on behalf of members to educate them on changing regulations, resource development and operational issues that affect the restaurant industry’s bottom line.
The association also works to support the education of the next generation of service-industry professionals. Each year, the GKCRA awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving students seeking a career in the hospitality industry. Members and volunteers also work with 23 area high schools on their ProStart programs, a national career-building program for students interested in the culinary arts and food service management. In addition, the GKCRA annually awards over $20,000 in grants in support of high school ProStart programs.
Learn More About the History of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association
Join the KC Restaurant Community
Interested in becoming a member of the KC Restaurant Association? Sign up for a membership today and join us for one of our monthly meetings at a member restaurant across the Greater Kansas City Area.
Attend One Of Our Events!
The Greater Kansas City Chapter hosts events across the city to bring the restaurant community together, and strengthen the position of the hospitality industry in the Greater Kansas City.
GKCRA Past Presidents
Each year in January, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association honors its incoming president and newly elected slate of officers with the President’s Inaugural Ball. In addition, the event recognizes the restaurateur and company of the year award winners, two of the highest honors in the Kansas City hospitality community.
1916 - 18 • Guy Taylor
1919 • R.T. Smith
1920 • F. C. Templeton
1921 • H.E. Stiles
1922 • Myron Green
1923 - 24 • Frank Valerius
1925 - 26 • Unknown
1927 • H.L. Barth
1928 - 30 • Unknown
1931 • Watson Green
1932 • Tim Templin
1933 • R.G. Thomas
1934 • C.M. Hayman
1935 • S.L. Wolfberg
1936 • Joe Gilbert
1937 • Unknown
1938 • R.G. Thomas
1939 • Frank Lipari, Jr.
1940 - 41 • A.W. Bixby
1942 • Mrs. J.B. Dowd
1943 • Sydney Ginsburg
1944 • Marcel Compte
1945 • Fredd Ott
1946 • Anna Peterson
1947 • S.L. Wolfberg
1948 - 49 • J.W. Putsch
1950 • Harry Roe
1951 • R.L. Thomas
1952 • Ned A. Eddy, Sr.
1953 • Charles E. Glenn
1954 • Ray Shannon
1955 • Irwin Holzmark
1956 • Hugh Wallace
1957 • W.G. Fielder
1958 • Paul Robinson
1959 • James T. House
1960 • C.M. Hayman, Jr.
1961 • Richard Harman
1962 • Robert Keeney
1963 • Dan Sander
1964 • Jack Webb
1965 • Joe Ross
1966 • James Regan, Sr.
1967 • Al Cutcliffe
1968 • Ken Baker
1969 • John Foster
1970 • Lloyd Stephenson
1971 • Ned A. Eddy, Jr.
1972 • Kenneth Hill
1973 • Carl DiCapo
1974 • Steve White
1975 • Bruce McMullan
1976 • Richard May
1977 • Clifford Bath
1978 • Richard Arey
1979 • Dorothy Muck
1980 • Gary Berbiglia
1981 • Paul Sterner
1982 • Bill Rauschelbach
1983 • Steve Greer
1984 • Ron Regan
1985 • Vince Totta
1986 • Bonnie Kellenberg
1987 • Thom Bear
1988 • James Regan, Jr.
1989 • Avery Murray
1990 • Manny Lopez
1991 • Greg Hunsucker
1992 • George Cascone
1993 • Steve Cole
1994 • Clark Fletcher
1995 • Carl Brandt
1996 • Ron Barkley
1997 • Ed Holland
1998 • Forbes Cross
1999 • Todd Hulse
2000 • Solomon Melesse
2001 • Nassy Saidian
2002 • Avery Murray
2003 • John Geiger
2004 • Michael Bay
2005 • Victor Allred
2006 • Eric Parinello
2007 • Bill Birchfield
2008 • John Cassell
2009 • Jason Pryor
2010 • Al Hinman
2011 • Buddy Lahl
2012 • Bill Teel
2013 • Zach Doerfler
2014 • Bart Hickey
2015 • Dave Brown
2016 • James Eddy
2017 • Mike Garozzo
2018 • Kevin Timmons
2019 • Marty Elton
2020 • Jon Branstetter
2021 • David Lopez
2022 • Mary Jo Holland
2023 - Kim Halloran
2024 - Alan Kneeland
2025 - Tyler Banker
Kansas City Chapter Officers
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Tyler Banker
Director of Front of House Training & Operations Third Street SocialGKCRA President -
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Mike Burris (C)
Executive Director - KC & Southwest Missouri Missouri Restaurant AssociationExecutive Director
