Ted’s Cafe Escondido opens in Overland Park

Oklahoma-based Ted’s Cafe Escondido just entered the market with an Overland Park location in Corbin Park in late March.

Now it plans to expand on the Missouri side with a restaurant opening in Valle Vista Shopping Center, 634 N.E. Missouri 291 in Lee’s Summit this summer, and another opening in the fall in the Village at Shoal Creek, 8300 Booth Ave., near Liberty.

Ted’s concentrates on fresh ingredients and made-from scratch items such as tamales, tortilla soup, fajita nachos supreme with meat slow-marinated for 72 hours, fajitas, pork chili verde, and chicken Monterey.

Customers are promised complimentary fresh tortilla chips with any entree. Ted’s signature sides include Pappas Mexicanos (garlic-infused mashed potatoes with finely diced green chiles) and Corn con Crema (corn in a creamy sauce with a spice blend and finely diced green chiles).

The new 7,980-square-foot free-standing restaurant in Corbin Park, at 7001 W. 135th St., near Sprouts Farmers Market, has a large family friendly dining room and a separate bar, both looking out onto a landscaped area with centerpiece fountain. Customers also can watch fresh tortillas being made behind a glass window in the kitchen.

Ted’s was founded in 1991 and has eight locations in Oklahoma with another under construction there. Al Lejarzar, president and chief operating officer of Ted’s, said the company had a strong local following from people who attended college in Oklahoma and from those who traveled from the area to do business in the state.

“They know we have great food, great service, and they can get in and out quickly,” said Lejarzar, who was out scouting sites for more area locations on Tuesday.

Updates for Leawood’s Park Place

▪ The locally owned Hand + Land — handmade, natural and organic products for the body, home and health — plans to open in Leawood’s Park Place by early summer.

Partner Jessica Moler was moving back to the area after six years in Germany and Australia, and was discussing career options with her cousin Nicole Lobdell. Both women wanted to work for themselves and considered opening a restaurant or cafe.

But the cousins were passionate about natural products, even making their own deodorant and salve, and saw a need for an area store offering similar products.

Hand + Land will offer goods from small-batch vendors across the country, products that “promote holistic health, support our environment, heal our bodies all while using minimal ingredients without synthetic fragrances or harmful additives,” they said.

Vendors will include Marble & Milkweed (botanical skin and body care), LuckyPalmTree (organic baby clothes and accessories), Arbor cutting boards, and Juniper Ridge (men’s fragrances and soaps). It also will carry wallets, leather clutches and handbags by locally owned EB Leatherworks.

“I think a lot of people are on the organic food movement but need to also be on the organic skin care and organic home products movement,” Moler said.

Hand + Land also will avoid unnecessary packaging by focusing on items that are recyclable, compostable or reusable. It is taking a 400-square-foot space at 11527 Ash St., current home of Flowers by Emily.

▪ Flowers by Emily is moving within Park Place and expanding its offerings.

Its new 800-square-foot location, at 5230 W. 116^th Place, will offer floral arrangements, as well as gift merchandise including vases, Voluspa candles, Lafco New York candles and soaps, Aden + Anais baby gifts, Hammond’s Candies, greeting cards and garden seeds. It plans to remain open at its current location at 11527 Ash St. until opening in the new location in mid-May.

Emily Fyten started doing floral arrangements for weddings out of her Overland Park home in 2005 and opened her first floral shop in Leawood 2007. She moved to Park Place in 2010. She owns Flowers by Emily with her father, Stephen Glasscock.

Bare Esthetics Medical Spa also plans to open this spring at 5265 W. 116th Place. Bare Esthetics offers a variety of treatments, including facial rejuvenation, laser hair removal, body sculpting, spray tanning and massage therapy.

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 9:28 PM with the headline "Ted’s Cafe Escondido opens in Overland Park."