Popular KC restaurateurs feel ‘proud’ as they step away after 18 years
.JPG "Ginger Sue’s is known for its pancakes and other breakfast items.")
It’s been a busy nearly two decades for Ginger Fuller and David Bradley.
In 2007, the couple opened the very first Ginger Sue’s restaurant in Liberty (12 W. Kansas St.). The neighborhood ate it up — quite literally — so the pair opened Lee’s Summit in 2012 and Olathe in 2015.
But after endless mounds of pancake batter, the founders of Ginger Sue’s are stepping away from the breakfast and lunch restaurant.
The good news: Ginger Sue’s isn’t going anywhere.
Alex Pope, who owns Pigwich and Local Pig in the City Market, has purchased the business from Fuller and Bradley. And while the beloved dishes will live on with Pope, it’s still a bittersweet end for the couple.
“We’ve made such great connections with our staff and our customers,” Fuller said. “I think that’s the part we’ll miss the most. But we’re also really proud of what we’ve done.”
Bradley and Fuller had long talked about opening a restaurant before Ginger Sue’s. They both loved food and had an entrepreneurial drive. Plus, Bradley had been a general manager at other restaurants in the KC metro.
The two started by scribbling down recipes on notecards and testing several different recipes in their home kitchen. Then, they found the perfect location for Ginger Sue’s (Fuller’s first and middle names).
“For us it just kind of melded together, and the timing was right. We just always talked about it,” Fuller said. “Sometimes life presents you with things and pushes you to it.”
Pope said he’s been coming to Ginger Sue’s with his family for 10 years and has always loved it. He’s honored to continue its legacy, and he doesn’t plan to change any menu items.
“I’m grateful that they left the restaurant in such great shape that I could walk in and continue operations,” he said.
Ginger Sue’s offers a Denver omelet, Southwest scramble, French toast, Belgian waffles and — of course — the famous pancakes (plain, apple cinnamon, blueberry with berry compote, banana topped with peanut butter, chocolate chip, and wheat germ).
“We made about a million different pancakes, and we tried different tweaks and everything to make those right,” Fuller said.
The couple said the plan from the beginning was to build a well-respected restaurant and sell it when the time felt right. The pair isn’t sure exactly what’s to come.
“We were in the stores almost every day,” Bradley said. “So just a little bit of time off to figure out what is next sounds great.”
“I feel like we owe ourselves at least 18 years of weekends,” Fuller added with a laugh.
The couple said they’ve felt overwhelmed with support since sharing their farewell post on Facebook last week.
Customers flooded the page with well wishes and fond memories.
“My husband and I lived in Lenexa for the first few years of our marriage and some of our fondest memories were our semi-regular breakfast dates at the Olathe location. Made a new place feel like home and it was such a special part of our early life together! Congrats and thanks for all the blueberry half stacks,” one user wrote.
“Ginger Sue’s has always been our go-to for the best breakfast or a Friday ‘let’s take off early and go to Ginger Sue’s for lunch.’ And thank you for giving our youngest his first ever job. You taught him well how to be a great employee in his future jobs. Happy Retirement!” said another.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.