Longtime Kansas City pizza place sold to fast-growing local restaurant group
W. VinZant Restaurants has acquired Waldo Pizza from owner Steve Kingery, the parties announced in a joint news release Monday.
“We’re ecstatic to be the next steward of such a beloved restaurant and will carefully honor its traditions in the future,” said Whitney VinZant, owner of the Kansas City-based restaurant group.
It marks the third restaurant acquisition for W. VinZant Restaurants in 2024. It purchased the Lawrence gastropub Merchants Pub & Plate in October and in July took over operations of the Country Club Plaza location of Bo Lings, which it is in the process of rebranding as Heritage, an Asian-American fusion restaurant.
W. VinZant Restaurants also owns Gram & Dun, BRGR Kitchen + Bar, Taco Republic and Louie’s Wine Dive.
An employee since 2000, Kingery bought Waldo Pizza in 2020 from Phil Bourne, who had owned the pizzeria since 1993. It opened in 1988 at 7433 Broadway St.
Kingery said he and his management team will remain with the restaurant through the changeover of ownership.
“The things you know and love about Waldo Pizza will carry on, including re-opening on Mondays,” Kingery said, adding that W. VinZant Restaurants will “offer Waldo Pizza tremendous support and expertise in areas such as employee and manager training, food and beverage procurement and development, office solutions and marketing that Waldo Pizza has never had before but deserves to have in the future.”
The deal was finalized Dec. 9, according to the release.
