Eyemart Express entering Kansas City market

Eyemart Express, a value optical retailer, is entering the Kansas City market with three locations — two of them in the Northland.

A location at 8560 N. Church Road near Liberty, and another at 15206 W. 119th St. in Olathe, are scheduled to have grand openings on Jan. 28. A location in Tiffany Springs MarketCenter, 8924 N.W. Skyview Ave., is scheduling a grand opening for Feb. 4. But the locations plan to softly open a few days before their grand openings.

Most orders are ready in an hour or the same day, depending on prescription. It offers more than 2,000 different frames, including designer brands like Nike, Eddie Bauer, Fendi, Guess, Calvin Klein, Coach and Armani. Prices start at $29 for two pairs of glasses with single-vision lenses to $69 for two pairs with progressive lenses.

Its frames come with a free one-year frame breakage warranty.

The first store opened in 1990 in Wisconsin. The company is based in Farmers Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. It currently has more than 150 locations in 34 states. It also has locations under the Vision4Less, VisionMart Express and Eyewear Express logos.

Pizza Shoppe co-founder dies

Longtime Northlander Dick Ryan, 81, passed away at his home Jan. 18, with his wife of 61 years, Loreta, by his side.

After graduating from North Kansas City High School in 1952, Ryan worked for TWA where he met Loreta.

He founded Pizza Shoppe in Platte Woods on Oct. 15, 1967 (his wedding anniversary) and one of the only times he ever missed Mass, said Tommy Ryan, Dick’s youngest son. It became one of Kansas City’s oldest and longest-held family owned restaurant companies.

Tommy Ryan still owns the Platte Woods restaurant and oversees Pizza Shoppe franchising, which has 20 locations in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

“Every city — Kansas City, Omaha, Little Rock — every city has its locally owned pizza restaurant. That’s what we are to Kansas City,” said Tommy Ryan. “We’re the neighborhood hub of the wheel, whatever our location, the gathering place for that community, generally associated with a school district. When you come in the door you are going to know someone and they are going to know you.”

The chain also is known for its house-made “The Pink Stuff,” a pink, creamy, garlicky salad dressing. It also sells the Pink Stuff, as well as its branded Buttermilk Ranch, Bold Italian and Fat-free Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressings, in bottles.

Dick Ryan also founded the Northland’s former Ryan’s Kerry Patch restaurant in 1981, offering such items as Steak Kathleen (its take on Steak Diane) and Bananas O’Foster — it was an Irish themed pub after all.

Tommy Ryan described his father as a character who captivated people with a story and a joke.

“I was really lucky to have him,’ he said. “He taught me you have to get up and go to work and work hard every day. Nothing in life is free. And that if we treat others like we want to be treated, to treat them fairly, good things will happen.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Eyemart Express entering Kansas City market."