Their Johnson County restaurant is so popular, they’ll add another one down the street
Bamboo Penny’s has been such a hit for Park Place, the owners are opening a second concept in the Leawood shopping center.
Aqua Penny’s will open this fall in the former Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant space at 11652 Ash St.
Described as a “coastal seafood house and oyster bar,” it will have classic seafood, continental cuisine and craft cocktails. It will be committed to “impeccably sourced, sustainability-conscious, creatively prepared seafood and much more.”
The seasonally driven menu will include sharable items, seafood towers, fresh oysters on the half shell, lobster deviled eggs, spicy grilled shrimp and cornbread fritters, cauliflower ceviche, steamed king crab legs, tuna spring rolls, seafood curries, lobster po’boys, mixed grills, chops and steaks.
The bar will offer wine and champagne flights, seasonal house-infused spirits, and classic and craft cocktails.
It will be open daily for lunch, dinner and happy hour, as well as weekend brunch.
Penny and Doug Mufuka opened Bamboo Penny’s in 2021. For the new restaurant, they are teaming up with Michael Werner, a Kansas City-based specialist in food and beverage concept design and development. The concept has been in the works for about a year, as the partners looked for the best location.
“They are a dynamic couple and I love what they stand for. They take care of their people,” Werner said. “We’re excited to bring an elevated but approachable seafood concept to Kansas City. Something new and exciting and more of an experience.”
Gordon Biersch shuttered in early March 2020. Its parent company closed that location and 36 other “underperforming locations” as part of a bankruptcy.
The 7,100-square-foot building is at the south entrance to Park Place, across from Plate Restaurant. After a $1.4 million interior and exterior renovation, it is scheduled to open in late October with a “lush, light” decor. It will have a large bar, along with a full-service raw and oyster bar, a walk-in 500-bottle glass wine display, and private and semi-private dining options.
It will have wraparound outdoor seating for more than 100 customers, with fire and water features, and cocktail service.
“Gordon Biersch did an amazing job of building that space, especially the back of the house, and they left it in great shape. It was a great opportunity to come in and build on the great bones we have there,” Werner said. “The front of the house will be a complete renovation. You will not recognize it.”
The Mufukas also own KC Thai in Overland Park.
This story was originally published May 22, 2023 at 2:17 PM.