Say goodbye to more Kansas City-area restaurants: Dream turns into ‘a 2020 nightmare’

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for the restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly 1 in 6 restaurants (or nearly 100,000) closed either permanently or long-term in the six months following the first shutdown.

For the next three months, the association expects consumers to continue to prefer take-out and delivery over dine-in.

Here’s a look at three more recent restaurant closings.

▪ Jeanie Clerico and her daughter, Linzi Weilert, took over Paola’s Beethoven’s #9 Restaurant in 2014. But it had been around for a couple of decades.

The goal was to offer German comfort food and make customers feel like family. Weisswurst, sauerbraten, cabbage rolls, stroganoff, Reuben sandwiches, and other labor intensive dishes were on the menu. At the end of the meal, customers lined up for the dessert bar with eight to 10 items, all made by Clerico. Some regulars knew to grab a favorite dessert first, before the restaurant ran out.

“We didn’t want to just feed you. We wanted it to be an experience,” Clerico said. “But my dream of opening a restaurant turned into a 2020 nightmare.”

The year started off with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl and her customers wanted to stay home and watch the games.

“It wasn’t good financially but we were right there with them,” she said.

They shut down Beethoven’s during shelter-in-place orders in March. Then they started taking orders for family meals that they would deliver themselves — a big hit at first, but as the shutdown was extended, family-sized orders started dropping off.

Once restaurants could open again for take-out, Beethoven’s tried streamlining the menu to keep food costs down. But customers were dismayed if their favorite item was dropped.

So in September, Beethoven’s decided to close for good. Clerico has since kept busy writing a 250-page cookbook — Beethoven’s #9 Family Favorites.

“My heart and soul were in the restaurant. My children and grandchildren were working there and we made many friends,” she said. “At least with the cookbook I will get to see them one more time. I will miss it immensely.”

She published 1,100 copies that are due to come in any day. The first book signing is scheduled for Nov. 14, and 800 copies have already been sold. Two-thirds of the books will be shipped to customers in such states as California, Florida and Texas.

The Beethoven’s building, at 2 W. Piankishaw St., has been sold to an antique store.

▪ Less than three years after opening, Mission’s Oregano & Thyme Mediterranean Market and Deli has closed at 6116 Johnson Drive.

Owners Ted Gavalas and Daisy Rodriguez said their lease was nearly up and they didn’t want to sign up for another three years. Instead they crossed “opening a restaurant” off their bucket list and they plan to retire to Greece.

Their operation showcased products from France, Greece, Italy and Spain, and offered fresh baked pastries and daily lunch specials.

With a new apartment complex across the street, the grocery and deli boomed during the coronavirus, almost too much on some days as a few customers got impatient in these stressful times, Rodriquez said. As an “older adult,” she said she also had COVID-19 safety concerns.

The owners plan to publish favorite Oregano & Thyme recipes on their Facebook page later this month.

▪ Denny’s has closed its longtime downtown restaurant.

The location, at 1600 Broadway, has been in the spot since at least early 1971, according to The Kansas City Star’s archives.

A Denny’s spokeswoman said the “location is closing permanently with no plans to reopen at this time.” She didn’t provide reasons for the closing.

This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 11:35 AM.