Restaurant retirements + Chiefs-owned eateries before 1587

Welcome back to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City. I’m Jenna Thompson, a restaurant reporter here at The Star!

This week, we’re saying goodbye to three pairs of restaurant owners who are retiring, leading two restaurants in Johnson County to close. The third is a local chain that will remain open under new ownership, thanks to a local barbecue and sandwich restaurant owner.

Then, we’ll take a walk down memory lane and reminisce about the other Chiefs players who have owned restaurants. Yes, 1587 Prime may be great, but Mahomes and Kelce weren’t the first KC athletes to traverse the restaurant terrain.

Time to devour these headlines!

Winstead’s-turned-Asian-restaurant to close in Johnson County

Dumplings pair well with furniture, or so says Jim Zhang.

He took over the old Leawood Winstead’s more than two years ago so he and his longtime friend, Katherine Kot, could run their respective businesses in the space.

Zhang was into furniture. Kot was a master chef. So they opened a two-in-one business.

Things went well, but Zhang said the plan was always to bow out of the restaurant business after a short period of time and sell the space.

They’re doing just that at the end of the year. The good news: They plan to offer special sales until the last day.

Remember these Chiefs player-owned favorites?

After I wrote about 1587 Prime in September, a reader wrote in with a question.

I’m paraphrasing here, but the gist was, “Have any other Chiefs players owned restaurants?” Excellent question, reader.

My search for the truth led me to these five restaurants. Perhaps you remember a few of them?

Hint: There’s a sports bar named after a legend, a beloved BBQ spot, a Louisiana kitchen and more.

I’ve already gotten a few kind emails telling me I missed a few, but perhaps you can tell me if there are any others you enjoyed that aren’t included on the list. 

À la carte

✴️ Where’s the best place for ramen in KC? My colleague says it’s this Overland Park spot with just the right amount of spice.

✴️ The best barbecue spot in the metro has been hotly debated. But a Commanders fan shared his ranking in a TikTok video.

✴️ After two decades of serving sandwiches and treats, a Johnson County dessert shop is shutting down. Its original KC location will remain open.

✴️ Ginger Sue’s will remain open thanks to the owner of Pigwich, though its original owners are moving on.

✴️ Most coffee shops close too early, says the owner of this new spot coming soon to the KC metro. It’s open late.

My standout dish of the week

Sweets are hard for me to resist.

I’ve inherited a major sweet tooth. Or maybe I’ve been conditioned. Either way, my dad is a major cake and candy fan, and he’d always bring us home a little treat when it was his turn to go grocery shopping.

When I went to André’s Confiserie Suisse in Overland Park this week to report on its closing, I couldn’t resist the little bag of milk chocolates sitting near the register.

If you haven’t had André’s, you’re missing out. The chocolate is much more rich and creamy than your average Hershey’s chocolate bar (which I’ll never sneeze at). It’s sweet, but not sickeningly so.

I’ll have to stop by for a torte before its last day.

Hungry for more?

• Check out all the restaurants we’ve covered in our Let’s Dish series here.

• Looking for the latest industry news? Here’s what spots have opened and closed in the KC area lately.

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Happy eating! We’ll see you next week.

This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 12:09 PM with the headline "Restaurant retirements + Chiefs-owned eateries before 1587."