KCinsiders.joyceinkc

06/13/2026

Now open. I just wanted a look inside the new McDonald’s at 3255 Main St. They said it opened Wednesday.

06/10/2026

A great addition for the Country Club Plaza. I hope this 18-month long pop-up signs a permanent lease. See my story in Startland News

More than a dozen years after it was founded, Lenexa-based Mersea has its first celebrity and designer collaborations, as well as a new pop-up on the Country Club Plaza — its first brick-and-mortar store.

06/08/2026

Contemporary European Bakery Opening in JoCo

Maria Eugenia Cardenas is a third generation bakery owner.

She first opened a bakery in Venezuela, just like her grandmother and mother before her.

She moved to the U.S. in 2020 and later settled in Olathe, where she started selling her contemporary Venezuelan treats at farmers markets in Olathe and Overland Park.

Now Cardenas and her husband, Wilfredo Cuellar, are planning a storefront.

They hope to open Kukiss Bakery in the Indian Trail Shopping Center, 1497 E. 151st St., in August. (Pizza Tascio is opening nearby at 1485 E. 151st St.)

The tiny shop will be to-go only.

Kukiss specializes in croissants such as the croissant roll pistachio, Croissant Nocciolata (a blend of chocolate and hazelnut flavors), and mascarpone raspberry.

Puff pastries include Prussiane (palmiers) and portion millefoglie.

It also will offer sourdough focaccia.

"Products that unite the best of Venezuelan flavors with American favorites so each bite tastes like sweet kisses of love," the owners say on their website.

Photo: Crème brûlée croissant: Courtesy of Kukiss Bakery

Chase Glaeser and Andrew Sandburg of LANE4 Property Group handled the lease negotiations for the landlord.

**Love Kansas City area restaurant and retail news? You're in the right place! Please hit and follow for more.

06/08/2026

Just FYI. I hope to talk to the owner tomorrow. So sad.

06/07/2026

Followers have been asking me to do a substack. So here's my soft launch. 😰Coming soon to KC, Mission, Olathe, and the Northland. Later to Lawrence (Dave's Hot Chicken), and Lee's Summit (Paris Baguette!), Now open: a bakery specializing in scones.

Coming soon to KC, Mission, Olathe, and the Northland. Later to Lawrence (Dave's Hot Chicken), and Lee's Summit (Paris Baguette!). Now open: a bakery specializing in scones.

06/04/2026

What’s Going Into This Brookside Space?

This site, at 314 W. 63rd St., Suite B, was once part of the famed Dime Store.

After it closed, the space was divided to make it easier to lease - side A and side B.

But side B has been dark for a while.

Now Fleet Feet, an athletic-goods retailer of premium running and walking shoes, clothes and gear, plans a July opening in the space.

The chain is based in North Carolina and has area stores in Ward Parkway Center, 8600 Ward Parkway, and in the Stoll Park Retail & Professional Center, 11908 W. 119th St. in Overland Parkway.

***KC is changing fast—if this post helped you keep up, sharing it helps more locals stay ahead of what’s opening next. Follow reporter Joyce Smith for more Kansas City area retail and restaurant news.

06/03/2026

See my story in Startland News

“I want people to know: the worst thing you can think of, you can make it through. You are capable of moving on from loss. To get up and keep going. I promise,” said Ma’Ryah Jennings.