4 ways April Fools’ caught KC off-guard, from new restaurants to big slides
The April fools were out in full force throughout the Kansas City metro Wednesday, April 1.
Many regional businesses and social media platforms tricked their guests into thinking upgrades were coming, they were moving locations or that a beloved fast food chain was finally making its way to the KC area on the whimsical day.
Did any of these get you? Let us know at kcq@kcstar.com which pranks fooled you.
In-N-Out finally coming to Kansas City. Or is it?
Social media aggregator KC Discover may have pulled off the biggest April Fools’ prank, tempting residents with a long-requested restaurant.
Their post on Wednesday said In-N-Out Burger, founded in Baldwin Park, California, in the 1940s and has since expanded as far east as Tennessee, would bring its famous burgers to Overland Park.
“In-N-Out Burger has announced plans to expand into the Overland Park, Kansas market, citing the region’s growth as a prime factor in selecting locations for new restaurants,” KC Discover said. “Renowned for providing affordable meals and custom-cooked food, In-N-Out Burger anticipates an April 1, 2027, opening.”
The post even included a screenshot from Apple Maps showing where it’s going and construction signage, saying it’ll be located at 10700 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.
The opening date in the post should’ve been the clue, but it didn’t stop people from sharing in the comment section that they got fooled. The post received over 1,500 likes and 400 comments.
“This is so realistic because Overland Park absolutely gets almost everything first,” said one commenter.
Nelson-Atkins’ new sculptures before the World Cup
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s shuttlecock sculptures on the outside lawns are beloved by visitors. The museum announced plans on social media to replace those with a timely item ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Instead of the shuttlecocks, visitors would see large soccer balls on the lawn in honor of Kansas City being one 16 cities to host the global soccer tournament.
“The @NelsonAtkins north and south lawns will make for perfect pitches. Hope your summer goals include taking the best selfies ever,” the museum said on social media.
The end of the post says happy April Fools’ Day and that visitors shouldn’t worry, they’d never replace the sculptures. Some of the 26 comments would like to see them add the soccer balls, however.
Who’s moving into the old B&B Theatre?
Looks like there’s a new tenant moving into the historic Mainstreet KC building at the Power & Light District — or is there?
Independent film theater Stray Cat Film Center said on social media that they’re packing their bags and moving from their building in the Crossroads and into the former location of Liberty-based movie chain B&B Theatres.
“New spaces mean new opportunities, and this move opens the door for some of our dream programming… like JUNE DIELMAN: a full month of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles on every screen,” Stray Cat said. “And don’t worry—we’ll be ripping out those recliner seats and replacing them with church pews we scored on Facebook Marketplace.”
They said they’d post updates on renovations, but fans of the theater shouldn’t get their hopes up. Some of the 119 people who left a comment did get caught off guard.
“The stages of grief I went through,” said one person.
“I fully forgot what day it was,” another comment said.
They had me in the first half, second half, in the middle half, the left half, the righ….,” a comment left by a visitor said.
John’s Big Deck’s big upgrade
Downtown Kansas City sports bar John’s Big Deck is known for its three floors. They’re making it easier for people going from the top to the bottom floor without having to risk their lives going down flights of stairs after a long night out.
The bar announced plans on social media to add a slide to the top deck next month, saying it’s going to be a fun summer.
“People wanted an elevator but we wanted to have fun with it,” Mr. Big Deck said on the social media post.
More people seemed to be in on the joke, but commenters had good ideas for how to use the slide. Some even suggested the slide would be much safer than the stairs.
“I know this is a joke, BUT hear me out. You could kick people out through the slide!” one person said.
