Restaurant quickly closed in Johnson County. Something different is moving in soon
Freestyle Poke swam for a few months in downtown Overland Park before it sank.
By the time Chad Denham began looking into the space last fall, it had closed.
Denham hopes to outlast the restaurant (and then some). His men’s clothing store, Newton James, is taking over the space at 7221 W. 80th St., selling everything from sporty polos to ritzy suits.
A complete 180 from raw fish. And from his other venture, a scrap recycling business called Orange Industries.
Newton James will sell higher-end clothing — more expensive than, say, Banana Republic — but it won’t be as unattainable as Gucci or Prada. He hopes to have it open by mid-March or early April.
Denham is filling up his inventory with brands like Seaward & Stearn, Greyson Clothiers and Joseph Cheaney. Mostly European brands, Denham said.
“I want it to be unique to the area. Things you can’t get in Kansas City,” he said.
The clothing store is named after Denham’s grandfather, who always looked his best. Denham never got to meet him, but he looks back at old photos and likes to think he inherited his grandfather’s style.
“Ever since I was young, I wanted to have a men’s clothing store,” Denham said. “I’ve always been into clothing.”
Denham’s logo is a nod to his swan-filled family crest. It’s subtle, but birds float above the store’s name. He’ll offer ties with his logo, courtesy of his friends at Seaward & Stearn.
True to his family-centric brand, store clerks will include himself and his 17-year-old daughter, who he says is looking forward to being part of the business.
Denham is confident in the success of his Newtown James, partly thanks to downtown Overland Park’s foot traffic. Plus, Denham added, he believes people are tired of the frumpy sweats-every-day attitude brought on by COVID.
Hawaiian Fluid Art has plans to open an art studio next to Newton James.
Freestyle Poke’s Rivermarket location remains open at 509 Delaware St.
Newton James will be one of a handful of men’s stores in the Kansas City area, including Houndstooth at 4250 W 119th St. in Leawood and Michael’s Fine Clothing at 1830 Main St.
This story was originally published February 1, 2024 at 4:25 PM.