Dominic's Italian Express Transforms Fast Food

When people think fast food, they tend to think about drive-thrus with sloppy service and messy foods. But being the only Italian drive-thru in Kansas City, Dominic's Italian Express allows people to enjoy high quality Italian food in the comfort of their own car.

Attached to a car wash called The Better Wash, Dominic's Italian Express gives Kansas City's food scene a fresh taste. Originally named Dominic's Pizza and Pasta after founder Dominic Cuccia, the restaurant added the car wash in 2003. Unfortunately, the only people who seemed to know about the restaurant were the ones going to wash their cars.

Recently, upon the change to a drive-thru Italian restaurant called Dominic's Italian Express, it has become its own dining experience. Since gaining notoriety for the quality of its fast food, Cuccia told The Kansas City Star that the restaurant sees as many as 200 cars every day. Once a full Italian menu was created, and they began offering classics such as cheese lasagna, chicken spedini, and fettuccine alfredo, Dominic's Italian Express was a hit. "Not everyone comes to have their car washed. But almost everyone comes to eat," Cuccia told them.

Dominic's Italian Express is just one component to Kansas City's changing eating experience. Although known for its restaurants, Kansas City recently became recognized for its food trucks. The establishment of the Kansas City Food Truck Association in January has led to a huge increase in food trucks, as well as the creation of the free app Truckily that pinpoints the locations of food trucks around the city. This new way to eat quality food on the move has transformed the nature of Kansas City's food scene.