Minsky’s Pizza Opens After 8-Week Expansion
By Jill Draper
Minsky’s Pizza in Leawood has reopened after an eight-week renovation that added more seating, a full bar, new bathrooms and a bigger kitchen.
“This facelift was long overdue. The place was getting kind of run down,” says Michael Burr, general manager and owner. “Now everything is fresh, new and gorgeous.”
Burr says the changes at 12920 State Line Rd. included installing new floors, ceilings, plumbing and electrical wiring, including USB ports by the bar. The restaurant also gained a new, environmentally-friendly grease interceptor to replace an old device that had been grandfathered in.
The opportunity to expand came after an adjacent beauty salon, Deluxe Hair & Boutique, moved across the road to Missouri. Contractors knocked down a wall and added the salon space, doubling the original size. Before the expansion, Burr says the Leawood restaurant had been the busiest Minsky’s per square foot in the Kansas City area.
The menu is much the same, but the installation of a new grill allows the restaurant to offer grilled chicken (instead of baked) on salads and sandwiches. Another new item is a flat-topped Philly cheesesteak made with Hoffman’s cheese? on an Amoroso’s Italian hoagie bun. “A general manager from Philadelphia told me how to make it more authentic,” Burr notes.
The bar area now has seating and 12 taps for craft beer. Burr says he is still fine-tuning the beer selection as well as the wine list.
He’s especially proud of the restaurant’s artwork, a selection of original contemporary pieces that decorate the walls along with several flat screen TVs. Soon he’ll be adding some oil paintings by local artist Esther Boyd depicting dogs and pizza.
“I’m humbled by the business we’ve had in the past,” says Burr, who started as a Minsky’s dishwasher years ago. “I just signed a 10-year lease and look forward to serving this area for many years to come.”