15 Exciting New KC Restaurants to Look Forward to in 2024

As we step into 2024, Kansas City is buzzing with anticipation for a wide array of new restaurant openings. From barbecue dive bars to omakase sushi experiences, there’s something for everyone. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 15 of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the Kansas City area.

Vita’s Place

Underdog Wine Co. owners Ryan and Jenny Sciara will open a small neighborhood wine bar at 5514 Oak, just around the corner from their Brookside shop. Projected opening: early January.

Whole Harvest

This Kansas City-based meal delivery service is opening its first restaurant in Leawood, focusing on healthy options such as zucchini bread, loaded sweet potatoes, lentil pancakes, and edamame dip. Projected opening: second week of January.

Tiki Taco

With two locations in Kansas City, Tiki Taco will open its first spot on the Kansas side at 7514 W. 80th St. in Overland Park, offering the same customer favorites: crunchy tacos, nachos, burritos, and more. Projected opening: January.

1981 K-Chicken

The old Steve’s Villa Capri, an Italian restaurant at 10412 Mastin St., will soon become a Korean chicken restaurant and bar. This is the first concept from longtime friends Kue-Jin Hwang, Sung Jo, and Kyoungmin Kim. Hwang says opening a restaurant has been their dream for years. Projected opening: January.

Aqua Penny’s

The owners of the popular Park Place Thai restaurant Bamboo Penny’s are opening a seafood and oyster bar concept in the same Leawood shopping center. Aqua Penny’s will be open for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and brunch. Projected opening: February.

Lottie’s Get Down

The Nashville-based firm behind the Westport music venue Tin Roof will open this Southern-fried chicken concept at 4057 Pennsylvania Ave. The building was previously Mickey’s Hideaway and, before that, McCoy’s Public House. Projected opening: early 2024.

The Blue Palm

Owners Dan Doty, Roxie Danner, and Houston DeFoe are planning a tiki bar in the Strawberry Hill space Mockingbird Lounge vacated this fall at 204 Orchard St. in Kansas City, Kansas. Projected opening: early 2024.

Green Dirt on Oak

Sarah Hoffmann, artisan cheesemaker and owner of Green Dirt Farm in Weston, will open a Crossroads fine-dining restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and her award-winning cheeses at 1601 Oak St. The spot will have a rooftop deck, an event space, and a production facility. Projected opening: early 2024.

Osteria Bianchi

Las Vegas culinary transplants Josh and Kelly Bianchi plan a traditional Italian restaurant in the former Trago Bar & Tapas space at 9261 N.E. 83rd Terrace, near Liberty, Missouri. Dishes planned include a tonnarelli cacio e pepe pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and a pork trio (braised pork belly, roasted pork loin, and crispy carnitas) served with spaetzle and red wine-braised cabbage. Projected opening: early 2024.

Meddys

The Wichita-based Mediterranean restaurant, which already has locations in Brookside and Prairie Village, is expanding again, this time to Lenexa, on the southwest corner of West 88th Street and Maurer Road. The restaurant offers shawarmas, hummus plates, and salads, inspired by owner Alex Harb’s Lebanese culture. Projected opening: March.

Sushi Kodawari

Austin transplant Karson Thompson plans to open Kansas City’s first omakase restaurant at 2100 Central St. The fine-dining sushi experience will also be one of the city’s smallest restaurants, with just an eight-seat counter offering two seatings per night. Projected opening: spring.

Carne Diem

Husband-and-wife pair Louis Guerrieri and Sarah Nelson, who opened the small-plates restaurant Ombra in 2022 at The Village at Briarcliff, are planning this upscale meat market and seafood counter just down the road, at 4179 N. Mulberry Drive. Projected opening: spring.

The Fresh Mediterranean Co.

This Middle Eastern restaurant started inside a Lawrence Cenex gas station, serving chicken shawarma, falafel, hummus, and gyros. It is expanding into a fast-casual concept, owner Hanif Lakhani said, and taking over the space at 3904 Bell in Kansas City, where d’Bronx Authentic Deli and Pizzeria closed in 2022. Projected opening: spring.

Night Goat

Fox and Pearl’s Sunday barbecue pop-up is getting its own permanent space in the West Side restaurant’s basement, at 2139 Summit. Expect a honky-tonk dive bar setting with barbecue sandwiches and tacos on the menu. Projected opening: late spring or summer.

Enjoy Pure Food + Drink

Staci Cross, who owns a health restaurant in Leawood’s Mission Farms, is expanding her concept to Lenexa. The new restaurant will be part of a project dubbed Restaurant Row near 87th Street and Renner Boulevard. Projected opening: September.

As you can see, there’s plenty to look forward to in Kansas City’s dining scene in 2024. Be sure to keep an eye out for these exciting new restaurants, and don’t forget to explore the city’s real estate options if you’re considering a move to the area. Happy dining!