Country Club Plaza updates: Natasha’s, Corner Bakery Cafe & Tesla Motors

Locally owned Natasha's Mulberry & Mott, formerly on the southwest corner of the Halls Plaza building, temporarily relocated to make way for the redevelopment of the building to Plaza 211.

Now, after nearly a year at 320 Ward Parkway, Natasha’s is closing on Aug 17.

Co-owner Natasha Goellner wants to spend more time with her 4-month-old daughter before Natasha’s reopens in a permanent space on the Plaza, perhaps in Plaza 211.

Goellner and her mother, Vicki Goellner, first opened Natasha’s on 39th Street’s restaurant row a decade ago, then relocated to Leawood before moving to the Plaza.

The shop offers pastries and desserts, including ham-and-cheese croissants, tarts, eclairs, cream puffs, French macarons, handcrafted marshmallows, cakes and cookies.

It also is home to the Goellners’ wedding cake business. Natasha Goellner graduated from The French Culinary Institute in New York in 2004.

The Goellners will concentrate on their cake business and online orders for now. They also sell their macarons at Dean & DeLuca in Leawood and in The Sundry in the Crossroads Arts District.

In a statement, Glenn Stephenson, vice president and division manager of Highwoods Properties in Kansas City, said: “We love Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott. They are a terrific local brand. While we cannot discuss in detail current or prospective lease negotiations, we can confirm their lease is expiring for their temporary space they moved to during the Plaza 211 redevelopment. We have been and will continue to work with them on another well-positioned space here on the Country Club Plaza.”

Corner Bakery Cafe for CPK space? Tesla Motors for Pottery Barn Kids space?

▪ An area franchisee for Corner Bakery Cafe said it is in negotiations to take over the 4,000-square-foot former California Pizza Kitchen space on the Plaza.

The franchisee also has locations in Leawood's Camelot Court and Overland Park’s Corbin Park. If the Plaza negotiations are successful, Corner Bakery Cafe would open in spring 2016.

The fast-casual concept offers breakfast all day, as well as lunch and dinner.

California Pizza Kitchen closed a year ago after more than a decade in the former Houlihan's spot at 4743 Pennsylvania Ave.

▪ Tesla Motors also is said to be looking at the former Pottery Barn Kids space at 4760 Broadway. Pottery Barn Kids closed in mid-January.

Alexis Georgeson, spokeswoman for the company, confirmed that Tesla has plans to open a new store in Kansas City but said she could not comment on a specific location or opening date.

“We place stores in strategic locations based on where we think our current and future customer base live and in areas where people are informed and interested in technology,” Georgeson said in a statement. “Tesla stores are in high-foot traffic locations where we have the opportunity to inform as many people about (electric vehicles), our company, and the advanced technology behind Model S. Our upcoming Kansas City store is a testament to the fact we believe the area will continue to be a strong market for us.”

Georgeson said the first goal of the stores is to engage and educate consumers about Tesla and about driving electric. Customers can use interactive touchscreens to learn about electric technology. Tesla stores and galleries have open glass storefronts, a big screen on the back wall, private sitting areas where customers and product specialists can talk more intimately, design studios where people can customize their Model S, and a display Model S so they can slide into the driver’s seat. Test drive vehicles also are available. Every Tesla car is built to order.

As for Corner Bakery Cafe and Tesla Motors coming to the Plaza, a spokesman for Highwoods Properties said: “We cannot confirm these at this time.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Country Club Plaza updates: Natasha’s, Corner Bakery Cafe & Tesla Motors."