Chain restaurant plans to open in Zona Rosa’s former Mimi’s Cafe

Overland Park’s PB&J Restaurants Inc. is buying the former Mimi’s Cafe building in Zona Rosa.

The deal is expected to close on Sept. 22. The purchase price was not disclosed.

PB&J plans to open a Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews in the building at 8501 N.W. Prairie View Road in early January, after a major remodeling.

“It seems like there is a lot going on: the growth in the area and everything going on around it, the airport and all the hotels opening up,” said Paul Khoury, CEO of PB&J.

The Colorado-based Red Robin is a casual dining chain serving more than two dozen specialty burgers with “bottomless” steak fries, along with soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. As of October 2016 there were 547 locations across the country, including 461 company-owned restaurants and 86 franchise locations.

PB&J is a local Red Robin franchisee with seven locations, including five in the metro, and it has two more under construction in Little Rock, Ark. It also has its own concepts: YaYa’s Eurobistro in Overland Park, St. Louis, Little Rock and Denver; Newport Grille in Wichita; and Burnt End BBQ in Overland Park and the Denver area.

Mimi’s Cafe closed in the 6,320-square-foot freestanding building, just off the main entrance of Zona Rosa, in September 2013. It owned the building but had to get approval from Zona Rosa officials for any changes to the facade.

It pulled out of the area market when it closed two Overland Park restaurants in April 2014.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Chain restaurant plans to open in Zona Rosa’s former Mimi’s Cafe."