Triple chocolate nutella, tiramisu, tres leches: New Johnson County dessert shop opens

Whether customers order the tres leches, the caramel chocolate cheesecake, or strawberry cannoli at Jars by Fabio Viviani, the presentation is similar.

Ingredients are layered into a palm-sized jar, the rim adorned in whipped cream. Toppings are decoratively piled on top.

The jar dessert shop opened Friday in Overland Park’s Hawthorne Plaza at 4937 W. 119th St.

Jars was founded by former “Top Chef” contestant Fabio Viviani. His first location opened in Chicago in 2023, and he now has spots in the Los Angeles and Dallas areas, with one on its way to St. Louis.

The chain’s parent company, Fabio Viviani Hospitality Group, is planning hundreds more locations, according to QSR Magazine. Viviani is involved with other Chicago-area restaurants, including Bar Siena and BomboBar.

Some of its other dessert flavors include triple chocolate nutella ($7.99), tiramisu ($6.99) and lemon meringue pie ($7.99). The shop also sells soft-serve ice cream and iced refresher drinks (like its blue raspberry lemonade).

While there’s no seating inside the shop, customers spooned out their jar desserts on Jars’ patio Saturday evening. Its employees (called “jartenders”) handed out the treats from behind a bar.

Before Jars took over the spot, “shaved” ice cream spot Bing Box had operated there.

Jars is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

This story was originally published July 1, 2024 at 11:56 AM.

Jenna Thompson

The Kansas City Star

Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.