What we do + why we do it

The Merry Outlaw is a social organization committed to connecting Kansas City, Missouri: one meal, one story, and one celebration at a time. We’re on a mission to create the most inclusive and joyful food experiences in our community. Through our programs, partnerships, and community events, we’re creating social connection and understanding. We’re getting to know our neighbors and sharing our resources, skills, and talents. We’re working as a community to build a Kansas City culture that works for everyone who calls this place home.

We’re not just saving you a spot at the table. We’re designing the table with you in mind.

Our Values

nourishment

Everyone deserves to eat, live, work, and play with dignity, no matter their story or circumstance. From the food we serve to the conversations we foster, we’re creating a culture of nourishment, pleasure, and joy. We organize events and programs that bring people together with good food and warm company. We’re creating dining experiences that promote social connection in our city, leading to greater nourishment and health for us all.

Imagination

We actively reimagine how community spaces and resources can be used and how social connectedness can be achieved. We believe that social change can feel like a celebration, and we find joy in each other’s possibility and presence. We imagine alternatives to outdated systems that feel transactional, impersonal, and institutional, transforming them into experiences that are communal, celebratory, and dignified. We create the spaces we want to see in the world.

EQUITY

The table is more than just a place to eat. It’s where some of our most challenging family and community conversations take place. In order to overcome social inequalities, we actively work to create spaces that acknowledge and address these issues. “Everyone is welcome” is a commandment to value all people at all times. No matter what you bring to the table, the table is designed with you in mind

ABUNDANCE

Scarcity is the lie that tells us there isn’t enough. Scarcity tells us there isn’t enough time, money, or energy for everyone in our community to have access to nourishing food, social connection, and opportunity. Or there isn’t enough passion, innovation, or creativity for us to imagine and create a better culture. We don’t buy the lie. Abundance is our truth. We’ve seen time and time again that there’s an overflow of talents, resources, and love in our city, so we’re creating containers that put our abundance to good use.

Our programs

We’re creating social change at the dinner table