More restaurant closings in the Plaza, JoCo: ‘There isn’t a winner when COVID is around’
Zoës Kitchen on the Country Club Plaza has been dark since the March shelter-in-place orders. Now the logo and awnings have been removed from the facade.
Is it closed permanently?
A Plaza spokeswoman declined to comment and suggested checking the Zoës Kitchen website. It is no longer listed on the Plaza’s website.
The Zoës Kitchen locations in Olathe and Overland Park also have signs on the front doors saying they are temporarily closed. But the logo is off the facade of the Olathe location.
As for the website, all four locations say “closed now.” But that has been a popular designation for restaurants that also plan to reopen in the spring.
Zoës Kitchen officials did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment on the status on the restaurants.
Zoës Kitchen was one of several new tenants opening on the Plaza in 2015.
Another Plaza eatery, the locally-owned Southern Charm Gelato Shoppe at 511 Nichols Road, confirmed that it is closed permanently.
It opened in mid-2018. Owner Jeff Martin said he still had two years left on his lease and tried to renegotiate it with his landlord but could not come to an agreement.
“I can see it from both perspectives, the landlord and the tenant,” he said. “But with COVID, the protests, Nordstrom being pushed back — which is huge, that’s why we went there. And you don’t know what January, February and March will be like. There isn’t a winner when COVID is around.”
Plaza officials declined to comment on the closing of Southern Charm Gelato Shoppe.
The Plaza currently has about two dozen empty spots. Retailers such as Tiffany & Co. and Helzberg Diamonds also plan to leave later this month.
Officials with Leawood’s Park Place confirmed that The Ainsworth restaurant and bar permanently shut down in November. Officials with the Ainsworth could not be reached for comment.
The Ainsworth opened three years ago at 11563 Ash St., in the former Ingredient True Eatery space.
A KFC at 75th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park closed in late 2020. It had been there since at least 1987, according to Kansas City Star archives.
A sign on the door directs customers to locations at 7100 W. 119th St., Overland Park, and 9564 Quivira Road in Lenexa.
In a statement, KFC said: “The KFC franchisee, who owns the restaurant located at 7006 W. 75th Street in Overland Park, made a business decision to close the restaurant on December 14, 2020. While this is always a difficult decision, we appreciate the patronage of our loyal guests and hope they will visit other KFCs in the area.”
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 12:32 PM.