Mobile kitchen Road Rage KC hits the streets

Randy Hobbs of Gardner said he lost more than 100 pounds in the last two years, eating such items as grilled meats and fresh salads.

Now he’s offering some of those same menu items to the public.

He teamed up with his neighbor, Joe Helmstetler, to open a mobile kitchen, Road Rage KC. For now they are setting up weekdays at the Phillips66/Gardner Liquor store’s parking lot at 18865 Gardner Road in Gardner, just off Interstate 35 at the Gardner Road exit, weather permitting.

They also are booking private events, including a recent corporate event.

The menu includes the Rubber Necker (two fresh grilled ground beef patties on a toasted bun with bacon, grilled onion, grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles) for $9, chicken salad sandwiches for $7, and the Lone Star Chicken Melt on Texas toast for $8, along with daily specials.

The Sidewall Philly — with thin sliced beef steak and Swiss cheese — was a daily special but was so popular it is now a permanent item for $8.

Helmstetler’s wife is Vietnamese and he plans to offer banh mì sandwiches and pho, using her recipes, for a daily special.

Hobbs, who learned to cook from his grandmother, had long been a salesman, but wanted to be his own boss.

“There are a lot of obstacles, a lot of things you don’t take into account when you have prepared for everything,” Hobbs said. “It’s special. But at the end of the day you still have a boss but it is the public now.”

Converse outlet expands

Ten years after opening in the Legends Outlets Kansas City, the Converse outlet store will relocate and expand. It is taking a 2,887-square-foot space at 1843 Village West Parkway, Suite C-107, on the west end of the center.

When it opens Saturday, it will feature a wider selection of Converse sneakers for the family, including its popular Chuck Taylor All Stars line, as well as apparel and accessories.

The grand opening celebrations will include live entertainment from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and hourly $25 Converse gift card raffles (winners must be present to win but no purchase is necessary).

Sprouts sets Nall Hills opening

Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country, plans a June opening for its second Overland Park location.

The 32,000-square-foot store, at 9628 Nall Ave., is scheduled to open at 7 a.m. June 22. The company will hire about 100 full- and part-time workers for the new location in the Nall Hills shopping center.

Sprouts stores feature fresh produce, bulk foods, dairy, meat and seafood, fresh baked goods, vitamins and supplements, and natural, organic and gluten-free groceries. Sprouts’ on-site butchers can help customers with special cuts of meat or seafood.

The company opened its first store in Chandler, Ariz., in 2002 and now has more than 220 stores in 13 states, including area locations in the Northland, Lawrence, Lenexa, Lee’s Summit and Overland Park.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 10:39 PM with the headline "Mobile kitchen Road Rage KC hits the streets."