After 23 years, Johnson County dessert shop is closing, to fans’ dismay
Twenty-three years.
Brigitte and Kevin Gravino have been serving chocolate, tortes and sandwiches at André’s Confiserie Suisse in Overland Park for more than two decades.
They’ve owned the 4929 W. 119th St. spot since its inception. As they stood against the wall to pose for a photo Wednesday, Brigitte remarked, “I think this is where we took a picture when we first opened.”
“Full circle,” Kevin replied.
Now, the Gravinos are moving on from the store. Kevin, 66, and Brigitte, 67, have decided to retire. As a result, the Overland Park spot will close at the end of the year.
It is, much like a rich bar of dark chocolate, bittersweet.
On the one hand, the couple is looking forward to spending time with family, friends and each other, plus more time for hobbies and relaxation.
But the inevitable bite is that Brigitte and Kevin will have to say goodbye to many adoring customers and staff.
“We love the people we work with, and our customers are great,” she said. “We have some (customers) that are like family, almost.”
The good news: André’s isn’t going anywhere. The Kansas City location at 5018 Main St. will remain open, and it will still sell its Swiss confections online and wholesale to various retailers around the metro.
That doesn’t make it easier for lovers of the Overland Park spot.
One of its longtime fans is Julie Barackman Smith. She grew up with Brigitte, whose family founded André’s. The two young girls would sit in the back of the original store and play while putting together pastry boxes.
Many years later, Barackman Smith took a job at the Overland Park André’s and worked there for the first five years it was open. The day she had to move on and get another job was a hard day, but she intends to come back for the last few weeks and help out, just for old time’s sake.
“Part of what makes André’s so special is the owners,” she said. “They’re in it because they love it … They’re so hands-on.”
Until Dec. 31, André’s in Overland Park will serve its dobosh tortes, chocolate truffles, sandwiches and more.
André’s began in 1955, when pastry chef André Bollier and his wife Elsbeth immigrated to Kansas City from Switzerland. To fund the move, André published a recipe book of Swiss treats.
In 1960, the first store opened, where it stands today.
Its tearoom closed last year to make room for more manufacturing.
“Our business model has changed so dramatically over the years,” Rene Bollier, owner of the Main Street location, told The Star at the time. “Thirty years ago, the tea room was 40% of our annual sales; today it’s 9%.”
While the dining room is scaled back, the Main Street spot still has a full-service food and drink menu and about 45 seats, with another 16 seats on the patio when the weather’s nice.