Acclaimed KC-area barbecue restaurant will close in Overland Park
A barbecue restaurant in Overland Park that was a favorite KC BBQ joint among media and diners alike is closing its doors for good, according to an announcement from the owner on social media this week.
Harp Barbecue, run by pitmaster Tyler Harp, told its followers on Instagram that its last day of service would be Saturday.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported this business from Independence to Raytown to Overland Park,” the post said. “Thank you to the amazing staff that’s made this all possible.”
The Kansas City Star called Harp for a statement on the closure but didn’t hear back in time for publication.
In a video posted on Window Wolf, the Instagram account from window cleaner Davis Roethler that also highlights stories from small businesses, Harp said his business faced challenges from staffing shortages, fewer customers and rising prices of beef.
“It’s all been extremely difficult,” Harp said in response to Roethler’s question about the challenges from this past year. “We’ve had the fewest employees we’ve ever had. We have basically the fewest customers we’ve had.”
He also blamed the country’s four major meatpacking companies for rising beef costs and restaurant closures. Beef prices have gone up since last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And it’s true that four companies — JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods and National Beef, known as the “Big Four” — control 85% of the beef industry, though prices are rising due to a number of factors outside of meatpacking industry consolidation, including climate change and inflation, according to reporting from Investigate Midwest.
Harp said he wasn’t sure what the next chapter holds for Harp Barbecue, but he’d like to land an opportunity that “makes sense” and guarantees his business foot traffic, like at a brewery or bar.
The restaurant actually got its start as a barbecue pop-up in 2019 at the now-closed Crane Brewing in Raytown. Before his highly successful pop-up, he sold brisket and ribs from his home’s driveway in Independence, reported Kansas City Magazine.
Roethler started a GoFundMe on Wednesday to support Harp’s next chapter. Nearly 24 hours after its launch with a $4,000 goal, Roethler has raised $3,165 from 24 donations.
“At one point or another, barbecue will be part of my life,” Harp told Roethler. “I’m just not exactly sure what format, but it is my passion. It’s what I want to do.”
Harp Barbecue opened in Overland Park at 12094 W. 135th St. in November 2024, moving across the state line from its first location in Raytown, which had opened in 2022.
In that time Harp built a following around KC for its Texas-style brisket and “craft barbecue” and garnered recognition as a top BBQ restaurant in the city by Kansas City Magazine and Conde Nast Traveler.
For its final two days of service, Harp said on Instagram that brisket, burnt ends, blueberry white cheddar links and $25 slabs of ribs would be available.