KANSAS CITY, Kan. — At Poio, barbecue is showcased in a unique way.
"We do barbecue, but we do it my way," owner Carlos Mortera said.
But it's not traditional Kansas City barbecue.
"I would've never opened a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City," Mortera said with a smile. "That's too much controversy there, but my father had chicken restaurants in Mexico. Growing up in the States with barbecue, I think chicken kind of translates to every culture also. And I call it Mexican barbecue because it's a blend."
It's a blend of his own upbringing and the upbringings of his friends he's met along the way.
"I'm putting my experience on a plate of growing up in America," Mortera said. "You know I'm Mexican background, but I grew up in Kansas and grew up with friends from just different cultures; the Philippines and Korean friends, Asian, African friends, so we try to bring them all in one and you know when you come to Poio, you're gonna taste that."
Different cultural experiences are provided on one plate.
"We use a lot of Asian flavors and techniques on food because it's some of the food that I grew up eating when I was a kid," Mortera said. "I'm working on some Indian spice lamb that we might bring in. We have a peri peri, which is a South African pepper that we're gonna try and work in a salsa somehow. So we want to add you know that melting pot that America is and showcase it in one restaurant."
Poio is a new restaurant — kind of.
"We're a semi-brand new restaurant," Mortera said. "We opened in May of 2021, we reopened."
In November 2020, they had to close their doors at a Kansas City, Missouri, location due to the pandemic.
"It was hard," Mortera said. "I mean like, closing a restaurant and owning a restaurant is one of the hardest things."
But now the restaurant is back, and this time in Kansas City, Kansas.
"When we closed, I wasn't planning on opening unless it was the right spot that I think could help us get through a pandemic," Mortera said. "We didn't know what was going to happen. So I found this place with a drive-through. That helps a lot. Our location is on a big street which is 7th Street and we're in a community where there's not a lot of restaurants, and if there is, there's a lot of chains."
Closing a restaurant and opening a new one in a pandemic may seem like a feat.
"Why open up in a pandemic? Cause I'm insane," Mortera said with a laugh. "Honestly, when we found this space, I think I wanted to change the model of what food should look like, what drive-through food should look like and be."
And people are noticing. The first lady Dr. Jill Biden stopped by when she was in town a few weeks ago.
"It just makes you feel like you're doing something right," Mortera said.
Mortera said there are good days and bad days as they move forward in this pandemic, where changes can happen daily.
"Sometimes it's the right decision that day but that might not be tomorrow. But it's just hard, you know? There's a lot of what-ifs," Mortera said. "Every restaurant worker and owner and especially local non-chains. We have staff issues, prices are going up and we're here and we're trying to provide a good service and good food."
This is Poio's first year participating in KC Restaurant Week.
Poio is also on Vantage Airport Group's list of local restaurants, which could be in the new terminal next year. Renderings are available online.
