Beloved Kansas City breakfast restaurant will return — but with some changes
Longtime Kansas City breakfast and brunch restaurant Happy Gillis will reopen after a months-long hiatus — though customers can expect some changes.
Its former owner, Cory Stipp, said new owners have acquired the Columbus Park business at 549 Gillis St.
Though Stipp did not share the names of the owners, he said they’re locals who are planning to make some updates to the space.
Asked if the name would remain Happy Gillis, Stipp said he could not say for sure.
“I know they’ve got some things they wanna work on and work inside the space to change it up a smidge,” Stipp said. “I don’t know all the things. They’ve shared some of their ideas of the concept.”
Given that, he expects the spot will be closed for a few months in the meantime.
Stipp said Happy Gillis initially closed July 4 because its air conditioning went out. The incident took place just weeks after a longtime manager left. Even after the air conditioning was fixed, the restaurant remained closed because of staffing issues.
In August, Stipp was contacted by the new owners.
“It’s very much cherished. I didn’t want it to be a chain or anything like that,” he said. “Something that’s a locally grown place.”
Restaurateur Todd Schulte first opened Happy Gillis first in 2008. (Schulte now owns Earl’s Premier, Bacaro Primo and Sea Capitán.) In 2013, Josh and Abbey-Jo Eans took over the space. Ten years later, they moved overseas and sold it to Stipp, a friend of theirs.
Stipp is looking forward to seeing the changes under the next owner. While he’s not retaining any part of the business, he said he would remain one of the restaurant’s “biggest fans.”
“They know it’s gonna become something that’s not just known in Columbus Park in Kansas City, but may be known in a broader scheme because of their pedigree and who they are,” he said. “I’m honestly super excited.”
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM.