These preliminary plans show the north side entrance and the parking lot for Jack Stack in Martin City.

Jack Stack Moves East

After 30 years the Martin City restaurant gets a remodel

By Kathy Feist

It’s been 30 years since Jack Stack Barbecue in Martin City has undergone any structural changes. But that’s about to change.

Jack Stack, at 135th & Holmes Rd., will undergo an extensive remodel beginning in June and continuing to the end of 2019.

“It’s going to be nice,” says Jack Stack President Travis Carpenter. “And it’s long overdue.”

Since the late 1990s, Jack Stack has opened new restaurants in Overland Park, the Crossroads, the Plaza and Lee’s Summit. Now, the focus is on Martin City.

Carpenter says the remodel must fit into the future. “We want to get it set up for the next 25 to 40 years,” he says. But they also want to keep its down home feel.

“This will be a unique remodel for us,” said Carpenter. “We want to keep its aesthetic. We don’t want to lose the charm of the original location. It’s not going to look like the Lee’s Summit store which has a new and modern design. It will have the same country charm that it has today.”

Jack Stack also has the unenviable challenge of dealing with the city’s future expansion of Holmes Rd., which is only now in the design phase. The expansion will purportedly include a third turn lane as well as sidewalks and curbing.

Jack Stack will be submitting plans to the City in late March, so it’s still in the preliminary stages. But if all goes well, here is what you will see:

Parking Lot

Starting in June, the entire parking lot, which encompasses Margarita’s, will be scraped and redone.. The newly laid parking lot will include curbing and landscaping. Gone are the days when customers can approach the parking lot from anywhere on Holmes Rd.

The Kitchen

In September, reconstruction will begin in the kitchen, which will move from the north end to the south.  As a result, there will no longer be a south entrance or south parking lot.

The North End

The entrance will now be on the north end of the building facing Holmes Rd. A separate carryout area will be on the northeast wing. A waiting area and private dining room will fill the space in between.

The South End

The southwest part of the building will include an updated patio and a new bar, a feature that is currently lacking.  

Exterior

The exterior will receive added materials.

Main Dining Area

The one area that will not change is the main dining room. “Our intention is not to close,” says Carpenter. The dining room will continue to receive customers during reconstruction. However, when completed, Carpenter expects the dining room to gain space for a few more tables.

All in all, the whole building will be pushed to the east by as much as 10 feet, according to Carpenter.

Carpenter acknowledges that some longtime customers may be nervous about change. “But I think when they see the final product they will feel comfortable with it,” he says. “I believe it will be wonderfully received.”

“We are excited to reinvest back in the community,” he says. “There is a lot of investment happening in Martin City and we want to be a part of that too.”