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KCinsiders.joyceinkc đź“° Your Insiders source for Kansas City Area Restaurant & Retail News: Openings, Closings
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Joyce Smith covers retail and restaurant news for the Kansas City Star - openings, closings, lawsuits, restaurant health code violations and more.

Quick look at the new Miss A in Overland Park. For more Kansas City area retail and restaurant news, follow me Joyce Smi...
09/28/2026

Quick look at the new Miss A in Overland Park. For more Kansas City area retail and restaurant news, follow me Joyce Smith

Here’s Your Latest Sonic Drive-in ClosingsAn update to my Sunday post.The Sonic Drive-Ins at 10075 W. 75th St., Overland...
09/28/2026

Here’s Your Latest Sonic Drive-in Closings

An update to my Sunday post.

The Sonic Drive-Ins at 10075 W. 75th St., Overland Park, and at 8311 Hedge Lane Terrace in Shawnee, are closing at the end of the day on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Managers at the locations said they were owned by the same franchisee and were “underperforming.”

The franchisee couldn't be reached for comment. But a corporate spokeswoman confirmed the closings.

Reporter note: According to my research, the Overland Park Sonic has operated on the site since at least mid-1983, and the Shawnee location since at least 2005.

But the chain has dramatically downsized in the metro since then.

Here are more “coming soon” and “coming later” restaurant and retail openings I’m working on. (And one possible closing ...
09/28/2026

Here are more “coming soon” and “coming later” restaurant and retail openings I’m working on. (And one possible closing this week.)

1. Warby Parker has its sign up on the former Scratch Gourmet Kitchen space in the Shops of Prairie Village, 3939 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village. (Scratch relocated in the center.) No opening date was available.
2. Ebisu, a chain selling high-quality Asian goods (toys, snacks, beauty, homegoods), wants to open at 9148 Metcalf Ave. Officials have not responded with more details.
3. Drenon Jewelry plans to open in Overland Park’s Galleria 115, at 115th Street and Nall Avenue. It has a location in Independence. It said the new store won’t open for a couple of years.
4. A follower asked about the closing of Sonic Drive-In, 10075 W. 75th St., Overland Park. A manager at that location said it will close Wednesday because it was “underperforming.”
Reporter note: I have a call out to Sonic corporate for another confirmation and more details on the closing, as well as to the franchisee.
According to my research, it has operated on the site since at least 1983 (updated).

Meddys just opened a Lee’s Summit restaurant - 460 N.W. Chipman Road. It plans a mid-November opening for its new locati...
09/28/2026

Meddys just opened a Lee’s Summit restaurant - 460 N.W. Chipman Road.

It plans a mid-November opening for its new location at 115th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park.

Now founder Alex Harb said he will open a restaurant at North Lennox and West 119th streets in Olathe.

He hopes to start construction within the next 60 days but has no projected opening date to share.

Meddys is a full-service Mediterranean restaurant, founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2014. It has several locations in the metro.

*Reporter note: I hope to have more details on the Olathe restaurant on Monday.

For more Kansas City area restaurant and retail news, follow me KCinsiders.joyceinkc

The BIG LIST: Who’s Opening, Where & When***Reporter note: I'm building my list of restaurants and retailers opening in ...
09/26/2026

The BIG LIST: Who’s Opening, Where & When

***Reporter note: I'm building my list of restaurants and retailers opening in the Kansas City metro. I will keep a running list on my KCinsiders Substack. (See previous posts for 1-27.)

Recently open, or opening soon (dates subject to change).

28. Meddys, 460 N.W. Chipman Road, Lee’s Summit. Soft opening today, Saturday, Sept. 26, until 9 p.m. Grand opening Sept. 27.
29. Tanner’s Bar & Grill, 12520 Quivira Road, Overland Park. Late November or early December.
30. TESO Life, 11940 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park. Late November opening. (Shelving is expected to go in next week.)
31. Tiki Taco, two locations opening soon, more in 2027.
*412 E. 18th St. Early October. (former Double Shift Brewing Co.)
*602 W. Ninth St., Lawrence. November/December opening.
32. Tractor Supply, 2201 N.W. Barry Road in the Northland, plans a soft opening in early October and a grand opening in mid-October. (Former Jo-Ann’s Fabrics). For more see my March 23 post on Facebook.
33. Vuori, premium activewear/performance clothing brand, is now open in Town Center Plaza, 5004 W 119th St., Leawood. Opened Friday, Sept. 25.
34. Zoland Asian Market. It has a location in Kansas City, Kansas, and is expanding to the Northland at 7613 N.W. Prairie View Road. Early October.

What’s Taking This Former OP Price Chopper? Here’s What I Found OutSeven months after the longtime Price Chopper closed ...
09/26/2026

What’s Taking This Former OP Price Chopper? Here’s What I Found Out

Seven months after the longtime Price Chopper closed in Overland Park’s Rosana Square, a new grocery tenant will be moving in.

Hy-Vee will take the 66,020-square-foot space at 7418 W. 119th St. for an expected summer 2027 opening, according to Privitera Realty Holdings, owner of the center.

But that’s not all.

Privitera plans a facelift for the 600,000-square-foot center - new facade, sidewalks, pavement, roof and more.

The revamp will start soon and be completed in stages over the next year. The center will remain open.

In a statement, a Hy-Vee spokeswoman said: “As we continue to grow, we are always looking for and researching new communities to expand our footprint, however, a future store has not been announced at this particular site at this time.”

**Reporter note: I will have more details on this project in my KCinsiders Substack next week.

***And because I know you will ask, there is still nothing new to report on the former Ball’s Price Chopper building at 7000 W. 75th St. in Overland Park, which closed more than a year ago.

Rendering courtesy of Justin Murray of Bell|Knott Architecture & Interiors in Leawood.

Leawood AlertJust a few weeks after opening in Prairie Village, Flower Child restaurant is going through Leawood city pl...
09/25/2026

Leawood Alert

Just a few weeks after opening in Prairie Village, Flower Child restaurant is going through Leawood city planning to open in Town Center Plaza.

Officials with Drake Development and Flower Child couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

But looking at the plans here on a Friday night, they want to take Houlihan’s old site between Pottery Barn on the west, and RH on the east, at a new address of 4920 W. 119th St.

In April, the developers got approval for the French Corner development, which is a two building, four tenant project along 119th Street.

Flower Child opened in Prairie Village’s Corinth Quarter in August.

It is a fast-casual restaurant - part of Sam Fox's Fox Restaurant Concepts - offering made-from-scratch meals that are accessible to a variety of dietary needs. The menu includes customizable bowls, wraps, salads, and more.

For more on the Houlihan’s redevelopment, dubbed the French Corner, see my Feb. 16th Facebook post. (I will put the link in the comments.)

Image: A rendering of the new Flower Child proposed for Leawood submitted to the planning commission.

For more Kansas City restaurant and retail news, follow reporter Joyce Smith KCinsiders.joyceinkc

Attention Lee’s SummitMeddys is now open at 460 N.W. Chipman Road.Soft opening until 9 p.m. tonight - Friday, Sept. 25 -...
09/25/2026

Attention Lee’s Summit

Meddys is now open at 460 N.W. Chipman Road.

Soft opening until 9 p.m. tonight - Friday, Sept. 25 - and from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Grand opening Sept. 27.

The Mediterranean restaurant chain, based in Wichita, took the former MOD Pizza space.

The menu includes hummus, shawarma, salads, bowls, garlicky chicken, Spanish eggplant plates and more.

Another Closing on the Country Club Plaza icymi. Cupcake A La Mode is closing after 15 years on the Country Club Plaza -...
09/25/2026

Another Closing on the Country Club Plaza

icymi. Cupcake A La Mode is closing after 15 years on the Country Club Plaza - nearly a decade under current owners Mark and Jennifer Kitchens.

It will close at the end of business on Saturday, at 4639 Wornall Road (across from the long dark Houston’s restaurant). It opened there in April 2011.

Cupcake A La Mode sells gourmet cupcakes, celebration cakes, and custom desserts — all freshly made at the shop.

The couple first posted the closing on their page on Sept. 17, saying they were “unable to reach an agreement on a new lease for our current location.”

Fans lamenting the closing mentioned their favorite flavors French Toast, Amaretto Sweet, Raspberry Lemonade, Red Velvet and more. Along with their favorite memories.

–“You were so amazing to my family. You sent a huge box of cupcakes with icing and all the toppings to my husband’s army unit while deployed to Afghanistan and again to his police department for the holidays. I’m sorry to hear this is the end of your delicious cupcakes.”

–“This makes me so sad! My husband drove from Omaha to KC for our engagement weekend and the staff at Cupcake A La Mode made personalized cupcakes for us and was part of the engagement experience. They were wonderful. Please tell me you'll be moving to a new location where we can come see you!”

–“Thanks for the best cupcakes ever!!”

Officials with the Plaza had “no comment at this time” on the Cupcake A La Mode closing.

**Reporter note. My latest count of dark spots on the Plaza is at 46. I will update this again next week.

****The Plaza's 95th Annual Plaza Art Fair starts tonight and runs through Sunday.

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