These women bust into the entertainment scene, offering face painting, cocktails, music, party tents and more. All own their own businesses, but their goal universal: offer experiences that are fun and unique.
KC Cocktail Company, The Snickety Snack Bar and KC Scoop Coupe
Paige White is the hostess with the mostest! She strives to make hosts look like superstars, while making sure they enjoy their own party.
“I personally enjoy hosting parties and having people over but spend the entire time making sure everyone has a drink and food, so I never really enjoy my own party,” she noted. “That is how I got the idea to start KC Cocktail Company.”
Paige spent 27 years in the restaurant business but left for about 10 years to pursue another career.
“Food and beverage are in my blood, and I’m really great at hospitality and enjoy cocktails, so two years ago I opened KC Cocktail with one mobile cart, and I now have six mobile bars and a horse trailer."
She branched out to create her two other companies, KC Scoop Coupe, a mobile ice cream bar, and The Snickety Snack Bar, KC’s first mobile snack bar which includes a baked potato bar, mashed potatoes, nachos, pretzels, hot dogs and the most popular sweet and salty bar, along with yogurt parfaits and a mini pancake bar. She recently added several different rentals including her bar rentals, a Martini Wall and Champagne and Charcuterie walls as well as many other options.
“My passion is making craft cocktails. When I’m behind my bar, that’s my space. I own that, and I feel like I can do anything. It’s my little private island.”
Paige is looking forward to the future with continued growth, especially in the corporate world with all three of her concepts.
SA Entertainment KC LLC
Since 2003, SA Entertainment, formerly Sister Act Face Painting, has blossomed from a small venture into Kansas City's largest collective of subcontractor talent and entertainment. Founded by MJ and her sister Kimberly Nichols, the business began as a fun side project to earn extra income. Despite initial doubts about the name, MJ agreed to "Sister Act Face Painting," never imagining it would extend beyond that summer.
“The loss of Kim early on was tough, but her memory inspires us daily. During the pandemic, SA Entertainment underwent a transformation, rebranding to encompass a broader range of talent beyond face painting,” she noted. “This strategic pivot, driven by a desire to support struggling friends and collaborators in the industry, led to the birth of SA Entertainment KC LLC.”
MJ’s daughter Cody is now her partner and has helped SA Entertainment flourish.
“We are a mother-daughter team on this incredible journey. Cody's background as an art director has infused the team with fresh perspectives and boundless creativity, taking our offerings in new directions."
SA Entertainment offers it all: Face Painting, Caricature Artist, Balloon Artist, Live Music, DJs, Silent Disco, Princesses, Superheroes, Santa Claus, Digital Caricatures, Henna, Stilt Walkers, Fire Performers, Photo Booths, and more! Their stellar reputation has drawn in big names like The Kansas City Chiefs, Major League Baseball All Star Games, Sporting Kansas City, The NFL Draft, Union Station, Chicken N Pickle, KC Power & Light, Leawood Parks & Recreation, Prairie Fire, Town Center Plaza, Park Place and more. From large-scale sporting events to community festivals to intimate birthday parties, their presence is synonymous with fun and excitement.
They are dedicated to spreading joy and creating unforgettable experiences for their clients. As they continue to grow, they're grateful for the chance to work as family and with best friends bringing entertainment to the Kansas City community and beyond.
AAA Party Rentals
Whatever you need for a great event or party, AAA Party Rental has you covered. Although the company has been helping Kansas City with celebrations for over fifty years, current owner, Mary Dee Rychnovsky, is rather new to the game.
“I was a partner at a large law firm. Although I loved my job and firm, I wanted to do something more right-brained. I always enjoyed entertaining and actually looked at AAA Party Rental when it was for sale years ago,” she noted. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time as I had just adopted a daughter and was figuring motherhood out.”
When her younger brother died unexpectedly several years later, she felt like it was now or never to make the leap. She contacted a broker looking for a business that would allow her to have some creativity. Continuing, “The broker told me she knew of a new listing for a party rental business - it was AAA Party Rental! I figured this was fate.”
Mary Dee grew up in Moberly, Missouri, received undergraduate degrees from the University of Missouri – Columbia, then moved to Kansas City after college to work for a publishing company. She then attended law school in St. Louis and practiced there for 25 years. But she always wanted to return to KC. She bought AAA Party Rental in August 2019, and COVID hit six months later.
“Talk about challenging – I now owned a business whose whole premise was based on bringing people together, and we were facing a time when it was all about staying apart.”
From teaspoons to tents, AAA Party Rental has it. “We like to say we provide everything you need to host an event except food.” In 2024, she sees people wanting to put their individual stamp on events whether it’s certain elements or the entire theme.
The best part is seeing the final event. “Our team is dedicated to helping people put together their perfect event as stress-free as possible. This includes brainstorming ideas, discussing limitations, and seamlessly executing the final plans. It’s great to see the whole celebration come together.”
