Pizza bagels, pork Waffchos, cowboy chili. Johnson County dessert shop is expanding

When entering the risky restaurant industry, Kate Smith took the most cautious step — opening a food cart over a brick-and-mortar spot.

Even then, it was only open twice a month in the Lenexa Public Market, and only sold one product, French macarons.

But it was so popular that just weeks later, in June 2019, she expanded to a stall selling a variety of desserts on a rotating basis — pastries, cakes, eclairs, creme brulee, edible cookie dough, tarts and cookies under Kate Smith Soiree.

Now she’s relocating to an anchor space in the food hall and will open Butterfield’s Bakery & Market in late November or early December.

It will serve lunch and dinner, and brunch on the weekends.

Menu items will include a pizza bagel, pulled pork sandwiches on house-made bread, pork Waffchos (waffle fries with shredded pork, cheese sauce, tomatoes, onions and fresh jalapenos), tomato tortellini soup, chicken Caprese salad, and milkshakes.

At brunch, look for such items as french toast, chicken and waffles, smothered burritos and quiche.

Smith’s parents owned a restaurant in Northeast Oklahoma, working long hours to keep it going.

So growing up, she spent a lot of time with her grandmother, Jo Ann Butterfield Fath, mostly cooking in Jo Ann’s kitchen. Every day they would whip up dinner for when the family was reunited in the evening.

She is honoring her grandmother’s influence and the times they spent together as a family by naming her new eatery after her.

Kate Smith Soriee will move to the larger Butterfield’s spot and expand its offerings. Mad Man’s KC BBQ formerly occupied the space.

Carmen Chopp, manager of Lenexa Public Market, said the food hall was designed to be a gathering place for the community, but also a small business incubator to allow eateries like Smith’s to grow.

Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm, said food halls were a fast growing trend before the COVID-19 crisis — popular with different demographics and helping landlords fill space as department stores once did.

It said the restaurant industry had become oversaturated with dated restaurant concepts, so it expected a minor shake-out in 2020.

“Though food halls were a concept driven by social interaction, they are actually in a significantly more effective position than most traditional restaurants to navigate the challenges of social distancing policies,” it said in a May 2020 report. And with its low cost of entry, it could serve as a platform to relaunch many restaurant businesses.

Other tenants in the Lenexa Public Market, 8750 Penrose Lane, include Chewology, Red Kitchen and Topp’d Pizza + Salads.

This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.