Owners of popular KC-area bar opening new restaurant. The focus? Sandwiches
Tanner’s Bar & Grill — with more than a dozen locations across Kansas, Wisconsin and Nebraska — has seen exponential growth since its humble beginnings in the 1980s.
Owners Matt Brentano and Jim Fager enjoy operating the lively sports bar, but it’s fun to try new things.
In an effort to do so, the duo are opening a brand-new concept: a sandwich-driven restaurant that’s somewhat different, somewhat similar to Tanner’s.
Sammie’s Kitchen & Bar at 7721 W. 151st St. hopes to open on Tuesday in the former Yeti Pub space. The 1,500 square-foot restaurant is in south Overland Park’s Stanley neighborhood.
“We saw the spot and loved the idea of doing it,” Brentano said. “Kind of a small, cozy place that you can get your friends for happy hour … or take your family to dinner as well.”
Similar to its sister concept, Sammie’s has a few televisions around the space that will play games. But Brentano said the menu will be slightly more elevated than Tanner’s.
Its not-too-fancy, not-too-casual menu includes rotolo for $10 (puff pastry with pepperoni and mozzarella), a burnt ends pizza (pork burnt ends, barbecue sauce, pickles, chipotle aioli) for $16, build-you-own hot dogs for $11, a summer salad for $13.50, and the Incredible Turkey sandwich (schiacciata bread, applewood smoked turkey, arugula, provolone, balsamic caesar, pepper bacon, tomato and red onion) for $15.
For dessert: a creme brulee doughnut and a chocolate chip waffle sundae.
Sammie’s cocktail menu isn’t on its website just yet, so stay tuned.
“The focus is on the food and the cocktails, but we want you to be able to watch a game in there as well,” Brentano said.
Tanner’s origins can be traced back to Atchison, Kansas, where founder “Grandpa” Tanner loved to quench the thirst of his friends. Its first official location opened in Lenexa in 1985.
Tanner’s has seven locations in the metro, with a spot not far from Sammie’s at 14337 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.
For now, Sammie’s is planning to be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the week, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.