Kansas City’s new Italian/American restaurant has weekly specials, family meal deals

After Josh Drake bought a Lee’s Summit pizza restaurant, sales were slow. So he turned to catering with an expanded menu to boost revenue.

Customers responded so well, it became his core business.

Now Drake has opened an Italian/American restaurant, Big Belly’s at 8940 Wornall Road, serving those popular items.

“We want it to be a place where families can come in and enjoy themselves and not overspend,” he said.

The menu includes spaghetti, penne vodka and rattlesnake pasta (Cajun Alfredo topped with tomato and crispy jalapenos). Chef’s Specials include citrus ginger salmon, bacon-wrapped sirloin, chicken Marsala and fried shrimp.

It also has a variety of sliders (Greek, mushroom Swiss, Hawaiian chicken and more), chicken tenders, flatbreads, salads, sides such as scalloped potatoes and seasonal vegetables, a variety of macaroni and cheese dishes with garlic bread, appetizers and desserts including apple pie egg roll and tiramisu.

Children eat free on Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult entree. Wednesdays are Pasta Night with pasta dishes 20% off. Sliders are $2.50 on Thursdays and family meal deals are 10% off on Sundays (including 10 pork sliders and fries, regularly priced at $39.99).

Drake also owns Edible Arrangements in midtown and Lenexa, as well as Smallcakes & More at Hy-Vee Arena.

He purchased Lee’s Summit’s Pinsa Pizzeria & Kitchen two years ago, but said access to the location was not good for traffic. He turned to catering to increase sales and his chef, Ken Viereck, was ready to “spread his wings.”

Drake closed Pinsa in August to focus on opening Big Belly’s.

“We wanted some place where we could be part of the community, that Waldo area,” Drake said.

They had a list of about 150 possible names but said Big Belly’s seemed to fit the cuisine and the “stature of both myself and chef Ken.”

He said his only customer complaint has been the lack of ambiance. So he’s adding curtains, local art work, and lights on each table so he can turn off the overhead lights.

“This place used to be an old dry cleaners. We are trying to convert from dry cleaning to a restaurant feel,” Drake said. “I want to thank the Waldo community who has tried us so far and we hope to be the kind of place that is a pillar for decades — great food, reasonable price.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2022 at 2:13 PM.