Mikita Burton Named Kansas City Restaurant Association’s 2025 Influencer of the Year

The Missouri Restaurant Association‘s Kansas City chapter has named Mikita Burton as its 2025 Influencer of the Year!

The award was announced January 3 at the association’s annual banquet, honoring creators who support Missouri’s restaurant community through thoughtful and authentic storytelling. For Burton, the recognition came as a surprise (but an affirming one!). “It’s an honor,” she said of the nomination. “That means me sharing my little corner of the internet, and my little world of Kansas City, is reaching people, and they like to see it.”

Burton’s path into food influencing didn’t start with trending TikTok sounds or even much food at all, really. She describes herself as an “old school mommy blogger” who documented kid-friendly activities across Kansas City long before pretty Instagram feeds and short-form video were a thing. As platforms evolved, so did her content, growing alongside her kids and shifting naturally toward videos focused around date night spots and hidden gems.

What sets Kansas City apart, Burton says, is its accessibility in the food scene. “I think we have room for everyone,” she says. “If you have a dream, you can probably do it with a food truck or a pop up.”

Burton was selected from a strong slate of nominees, each recognized for their contributions to KC’s dining culture:

Annie Bui: @feedmeanniething.kc

Brenda Cortes: @bbcortess

Date Night KC: @datenight.kc

Neyan Babni: @neyanventures

Katie McLiney Wiewel: @lo.kc.al

Congratulations to Burton and the rest of the nominees!

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