Chocolate Frog Cafe opens Tuesday in Prairie Village

When Standees opened in May 2013 in the Prairie Village Shopping Center it was an untried concept — a restaurant first and foremost, but also offering movie theaters, all under one roof.

But a few months ago, owners Dineplex International temporarily shut down the restaurant at 3935 W. 69th Terrace and brought in Liberty-based Leap Hospitality to create a more family-friendly eatery. Pat Phelan, founder of Leap Hospitality, said Standees - the Entertaining Eatery was seen as as a “little too upscale, a little too adult-oriented.”

Leap has warmed up the spot with new tile, frog mural and 1970s lighting fixtures. The centerpiece of the restaurant — renamed Chocolate Frog Cafe —is still the 70-foot horseshoe-shaped bar.

But the biggest change is the menu.

Chocolate Frog Cafe will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The “American comfort classics” menu will include French toast with Bananas Foster or seasonal berry compote, waffles and pancakes, omelets, yogurt parfaits, and bagel and salmon plates. It also will have several entree salads, soups, and appetizers called Nibble Bites including Bavarian pretzel and cheese, hummus, and artichoke and spinach dip.

A featured item with be its Bowl Frogs, including the Bacon Sloppy Joe (ground beef and a sweet-and-spicy tomato sauce over a peppercorn bun with caramelized onions, tomato, bacon, shredded cheddar, house pickle and Frog Sauce) for $12 and the Thai Peanut (broccoli, carrots, green onion, crushed peanuts and spicy Thai peanut curry sauce), also for $12.

The menu also will include single, double or triple burgers, specialty burgers and sandwiches like the Two-cheese Griller (melted cheddar and Swiss cheese on Texas Toast) with side for $7.50, or the Southern-fried chicken sandwich for $9.50 with side.

“Full plates” will be served from 4 to 9 p.m. and include fish tacos for $10, beer-battered fish and chips for $14, chicken and waffles (jalapeno-fried chicken and waffles with maple, bacon, and cranberry pecan sauce) for $14, and sirloin steak for $16.

Chocolate Frog Cafe also will have a variety of shakes for $5, including Mint O’Graham, Almond Joy, and Root Beer Bomb. They can be spiked — with say Apple Infused Whiskey for the Apple Cinnamon shake — for an extra $3. It also will have beer, wine, mimosas and specialty cocktails.

Desserts — which will be made in-house — will come in large portions for sharing and range from seasonal cheesecakes to chocolate chip cookies with a side of milk for dunking.

The children’s menu, under Tadpoles, includes pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese, mini burgers and chicken noodle soup.

Leap Hospitality is a restaurant consulting and management company, as well as a partner in and manager of The Jacobson restaurant in the Crossroads Arts District.

Phelan wanted the revamped Prairie Village restaurant to have a whimsical name to reflect the new family-friendly environment. He said chocolate frogs are a popular confection sold throughout the “wizarding world of Harry Potter.”

Chocolate Frog Cafe will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Breakfast and brunch will be served from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Chocolate Frog Cafe opens Tuesday in Prairie Village."