Recent Stories by Joyce Smith
Physician assistant, mom juggles healthy challenge: opening two Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchises
A new Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisee is opening not one, but two locations this spring — all while keeping her day job and raising twin 4-year-olds. Nikki Vogel is taking over 2,200-square-feet in the former Calibration Brewery building at 119 Armour Road in North Kansas City for a scheduled April 16 opening. (It will be…
Betty Rae’s opening OP ice cream shop in May, deepening Johnson County scoop-print
Local favorite Betty Rae’s Ice Cream is expanding in Johnson County — taking a coveted corner spot in the Shoppes at Deer Creek Woods in sprawling Overland Park. A May opening is scheduled at 6936 W. 135th. St. It will be the sixth Betty Rae’s for the metro. (Hen House Market is an anchor tenant in…
Why keep Betty Rae’s from the world? KC ice cream shop franchising brand across region
Matt Shatto wants to “create smiles across the country” — not just in the metro. His plan: scoop a pint of franchising into the handcrafted mix for Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, a shop that developed into multiple must-visit Kansas City destinations over nearly a decade. Betty Rae’s is now targeting seven cities in the region…
Ixtapa closes JoCo favorite; owner says he won’t compromise family recipes or up prices as food, rent costs rise
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine has closed in Johnson County after five years. Co-owner Victor Esqueda blamed rising costs — rent, ingredients and more — for the closing of the restaurant at 7305 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, near the sprawling Shamrock Trading Company campus. “Everything has increased so much — food, alcohol 20 to…
Coffee cluster percolating on one Troost block; will business support the buzz of six spaces to sip?
A new stretch of coffee shops in the 5500 block of Troost will test the caffeine tolerance of folks seeking a fix. Six options soon fill out the menu along this bustling corridor. Blackhole Bakery, High Hopes Ice Cream and The Littlest Bake Shop currently offer coffee along with their core menu items. But Blackhole…
Rooftop Austin’s Bar & Grill just one step in unlocking Olathe’s ‘downtown renaissance’
A century-old building in downtown Olathe will get new life as an indoor/outdoor restaurant complex known as County Square Commons — anchored by the popular Austin’s Bar & Grill. LANE4 Property Group and Austin’s are redeveloping the 10,859-square-foot building, which is expected to feature four or five storefronts on the street level at 114 to 126…
Blackhole Bakery plans bodega-style expansion for second location: a West Plaza ‘blank canvas’
During his five years operating on Troost, Jason Provo said real estate agents often approached him, asking, “When are you going to leave and get a big boy spot in Leawood?” Now the owner of beloved Blackhole Bakery is planning his second location. But not in Johnson County. Provo is taking over a space at…
Dublin down on shenanigans: Smoke Brewing goes green with St. Patrick’s season pop-up
St. Patrick’s Day-themed Shenanigans is now open in downtown Lee’s Summit. But just until March 23. The owners of Smoke Brewing Company at 209 S.E. Main St. decked out the barbecue restaurant and brewery in floor-to-ceiling St. Paddy’s decor, and have food and drink specials to match. It’s a way to make St. Patrick’s Day…
In Good Company: This ‘hidden gem’ offers escape from club chaos, KC’s corporate nightlife
A new East Crossroads venue on McGee offers no clues of what’s inside. The black facade out front features no marquee. No neon lights. It’s the first indication that In Good Company is something different from neighboring Power & Light District hot spots. The goal: Good people. Good drinks. Good vibes. “It’s not a club….
She made kitchens her classroom; now this young foodie has her own Olathe bakeshop
Oreo cheesecake cookies. Take-and-bake cinnamon rolls. Pina Colado sodas. After seven years as an home-based business in Olathe, Cake Loft now has a storefront and even more attention-grabbing offerings. Owner Chrissy Zemencik’s line includes cakes, cupcakes, decorated sugar cookies, and macarons, as well as gourmet cookies — apple pie, cherry pie, lemon blueberry, brown butter…