By Kathy Feist
South Kansas City is seeing economic growth even during the pandemic. We continue our series on new development in the area for 2021. (See Apartment Complexes, Industrial Parks Shopping Strips, and Schools and Libraries for previous stories.)
Businesses
QuikTrip
A new QuikTrip will be built at 13201 State Line Rd., replacing a former Applebee’s restaurant. Plans include 14 filling station stalls, the company’s Gen3 concept featuring a fast food kitchen, and landscaping. The Applebee’s building will be demolished and all drive accesses to the site will remain the same. Construction is expected in mid May.
Peter’s Clothiers
The reconstruction of the men’s clothing store and warehouse at 123rd and State Line is almost complete. The shopping strip has been extended by 1000 sq. ft. on the south end and about 30,000 sq. ft. on the east end for the Byron line of clothing distribution facility, which is distributed throughout the world. The former Jovita’s restaurant on the north end awaits a potential new restaurant tenant, according to owner George Arvanitakis. A soft opening is planned for April.
Price Chopper
A new Price Chopper is being built at the southwest corner of Bannister Rd. and Hillcrest. The new approximately 50,000 square foot store will replace the smaller Ball’s Price Chopper at the southwest corner of Bannister Rd. & Blue Ridge Blvd.
Midwest Recovery Centers
The Martin City addiction treatment center has purchased the two 10,000 square feet banquet halls previously owned by Jack Stack BBQ. One building will house ten private rooms, a nursing station with 24-hour nursing staff, support staff, and an on-call physician. The other building will include a large group meeting hall, full kitchen with a nutritionist, and an exercise/yoga room. A spring opening is planned for the state of the art facility.
Homestead of Leawood
The assisted living facility at 12720 State Line Rd., Leawood, began a complete renovation, adding 18 new rooms and expanding the kitchen and dining facilities as well as overall updating of the facility. It will soon have 28 assisted living units and 18 memory care.
Devinki Real Estate Offices
Devinki Real Estate is moving from its Plaza location to its newly renovated location at 9734 Wornall Rd. The former JMN building has been remodeled and expanded from 4,000 sq. ft to 12,000 and includes warehousing in the back. The project is expected to finish in April, but the move will happen sometime in late summer, according to owner Sam Devinki.
Sam’s Club
The long vacant former Sam’s Club at 12420 Hwy 71 in Grandview has been purchased by Blue Sky to turn into indoor climate-controlled storage units.
Restaurants
Andy’s Frozen Custard
The former Berbiglia building at 79th and Wornall has been demolished and will soon make way for a neighborhood-friendly gathering spot for multiple variations of frozen custard. The Springfield-based franchise Andy’s Frozen Custard purchased the property in August with plans for an early summer opening.
WingStop
The space located at 8019 State Line Rd in the State Line Commons Center will soon become a Wingstop, serving a variety of grilled chicken wings. The owners are expecting a February 24 opening.
Strips opened at 85th & Wornall on February 1st to long lines. Photo by Bill Rankin
Strip’s
The former Kentucky Fried Chicken off 85th and Wornall has officially opened February 1 as Strip’s, the second location for the fast food-based franchise. The drive-thru restaurant serves wholesome and fresh food made from scratch, including chicken strips, pork tenderloin sandwiches, smoked pulled pork sandwiches, soft ice cream and hot baby donuts.
The Borough
The former Mama Tio’s at 80th and Paseo has been purchased by Half Napkin LLC to turn into a Marlborough neighborhood food hall, consisting of two restaurants and a coffee shop. Renovation is underway and will include a drive-up window and a garage door for inside/outdoor dining. “We hope for it to become a neighborhood gathering spot,” says Diane Herschberger.
BeerSauce Shop
The St. Louis-based BeerSauce Shop is coming to Kansas City and will locate their first store at 1219 W. 103 St. in the Watt’s Mill Shopping Plaza (near Jasper’s). BeerSauce Shop sell over 500 craft beers, 200 artisan barbecue sauces and rubs, small batch whiskeys and a sauce-focused full BBQ menu, featuring 12 entrees including Burnt Ends, Tennessee BBQ Nachos, Bourbon Brisket French Dip with a BBQ inspired house au jus. BeerSauce Shop will open in March 2021.
Cookies and Creamery
A new locally owned and operated ice cream and specialty treat shop is moving into Red Bridge Shopping Center. Cookies and Creamery will open its first brick and mortar facility at 533 E. Red Bridge Rd. next to Crows Coffee. The new shop will feature four varieties of Creamwiches, 10 flavors of local ice creams, fresh-baked cookies from Mary’s Mountain Cookies, PopCulture Gourmet Popcorn and a selection of milks from Shatto Milk Co. Another signature item will be owner Kiffany Bosserman’s hand-crafted Horchata. Bosserman also owns Cottontale KC Natural Cotton Candy which boasts 14 different flavors.