Johnson County pizza place opens in old service station. Fans are ‘psyched’
A little bit of Olathe history: The old Phillips 66 station at 200 S. Kansas Ave. was built in the early ‘60s.
Many longtime residents remember it as Spruytte’s 66 Service — there’s an undated article from the Olathe Daily News hanging on the wall that states “loyal customers are the goal” of Spruytte’s. The building changed hands a few times over the years, but its most recent former life was an auto shop.
And now the building has rerouted concepts. As of Wednesday, it’s the second location of Kansas City-based Pizza 51. Owners Kevin Timmons and Jason Pryor have black-and-white photos of the old gas station around the building, as well as road signs and a garage door that opens to a patio, to maintain the feel of its former life.
Customers scrambled through the front door when Pizza 51 opened for its first night of dinner service at 4 p.m.
“We’re gonna be lines out the door the first couple weeks,” said Timmons, who also owns the Nick and Jake’s restaurants. “They’re psyched.”
Timmons hopped on board to help with the Olathe restaurant because he lives closer to the shop than Pryor, who’s on the Missouri side of the metro. Plus, the entrepreneurs had always wanted to partner in a concept.
Jason and Shannon Pryor first opened Pizza 51 in 2004 at 5060 Oak St., which was also once an old filling station.
Pizza 51 offers sandwiches, salads and pizzas. It’s best known for its massive single slices, like the Hiway Special (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, black olives). Customers can customize their own slice, as well as their own 14, 18 or 26-inch pie.
Andy Reid loves Pizza 51. After he defeated the Eagles in the 2023 Super Bowl, he went there to celebrate.
“I got a mushroom-and-sausage pizza, how about that?” the Chiefs coach told reporters after the win. “And a salad just to make my chubbiness feel good.”
It’s unclear which salad Reid chowed down on, but if it was the Garden Salad, it had lettuce, onions, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella and croutons.
The new spot will offer beer and cocktails on tap.
The Olathe Ice Water cocktail, for example, has J Reiger & Co. vodka, Riesling, chamomile club soda and lime. It’s $9 for a glass and $36 for a pitcher and is exclusive to the new location.
Pizza 51 is the first of several restaurants to enter Olathe’s downtown area as part of a grander revitalization project.
Third Street Social, Char Bar and rooftop bar Austin’s are all looking to open in the area over the coming months. Developer Lane4 announced that another rooftop tenant would move into the district, though the restaurant’s name has yet to be announced.
At the moment, there aren’t many restaurants in the area.
“This whole revitalization thing has been huge,” Timmons said. “We’re gonna have four of the iconic brands of Kansas City opening within 18 months downtown.”
Jason Pryor spent the first day of Pizza 51 Olathe tossing dough behind a kitchen counter. A long cutout in the wall allows customers to watch employees pile toppings and sling sauce.
Admittedly, he’s a little nervous. Friday is Olathe’s Fourth Friday celebration downtown, and he expects a major crowd then. But it’s a nervous excitement.
“We’re happy to finally be serving,” Pryor said. “Ready to be making some dollars instead of spending them.”
Pizza 51 will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.