15 Exciting New KC Restaurants to Anticipate in 2024

As we welcome the new year, food enthusiasts in Kansas City have plenty to look forward to. The city’s culinary scene is expanding with an array of diverse restaurants, offering everything from barbecue and sushi to specialty tacos. In this article, we’re highlighting 15 of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the Kansas City area in 2024.

Vita’s Place

Underdog Wine Co. owners Ryan and Jenny Sciara are set to open a cozy neighborhood wine bar at 5514 Oak, just around the corner from their Brookside shop. The projected opening is in early January.

Whole Harvest

This Kansas City-based meal delivery service is launching its first restaurant in Leawood, focusing on health-conscious dishes like zucchini bread, loaded sweet potatoes, lentil pancakes, and edamame dip. The opening is slated for the second week of January.

Tiki Taco

With two successful locations in Kansas City, Tiki Taco is branching out to the Kansas side with a new restaurant in Overland Park. The menu will feature customer favorites such as crunchy tacos, nachos, and burritos. The grand opening is scheduled for January.

1981 K-Chicken

Three longtime friends are transforming the former Steve’s Villa Capri Italian restaurant into a Korean chicken restaurant and bar. This dream project for Kue-Jin Hwang, Sung Jo, and Kyoungmin Kim is expected to open in January.

Aqua Penny’s

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

Lottie’s Get Down

The Nashville-based firm behind the Westport music venue Tin Roof is introducing a Southern-fried chicken concept at 4057 Pennsylvania Ave. The building was previously home to Mickey’s Hideaway and McCoy’s Public House. The grand opening is planned for early 2024.

The Blue Palm

Dan Doty, Roxie Danner, and Houston DeFoe are creating a tiki bar in the Strawberry Hill space Mockingbird Lounge once occupied at 204 Orchard St. in Kansas City, Kansas. The opening is slated for early 2024.

Green Dirt on Oak

Sarah Hoffmann, artisan cheesemaker and owner of Green Dirt Farm in Weston, is opening a fine-dining restaurant in the Crossroads, featuring breakfast, lunch, dinner, and her award-winning cheeses. The venue will also include a rooftop deck, event space, and production facility. The anticipated opening is in early 2024.

Osteria Bianchi

Las Vegas culinary transplants Josh and Kelly Bianchi are planning a traditional Italian restaurant in the former Trago Bar & Tapas space near Liberty. The menu will include tonnarelli cacio e pepe pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and a pork trio. The opening is set for early 2024.

Meddys

The Wichita-based Mediterranean restaurant, with existing locations in Brookside and Prairie Village, is expanding to Lenexa. The menu will feature shawarmas, hummus plates, and salads inspired by owner Alex Harb’s Lebanese culture. The opening is planned for March.

Sushi Kodawari

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

Carne Diem

Louis Guerrieri and Sarah Nelson, the husband-and-wife team behind the small-plates restaurant Ombra, are planning an upscale meat market and seafood counter just down the road from their current location. The opening is slated for spring.

The Fresh Mediterranean Co.

Originally a Middle Eastern restaurant inside a Lawrence Cenex gas station, this eatery is expanding into a fast-casual concept in Kansas City. The menu includes chicken shawarma, falafel, hummus, and gyros. The opening is planned for spring.

Night Goat

Fox and Pearl’s Sunday barbecue pop-up is getting a permanent space in the West Side restaurant’s basement, offering a honky-tonk dive bar setting with barbecue sandwiches and tacos on the menu. The opening is anticipated for late spring or summer.

Enjoy Pure Food + Drink

Staci Cross, owner of 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. The opening is scheduled for September.

With these exciting new restaurants on the horizon, Kansas City’s dining scene promises to be more vibrant and diverse than ever. Keep an eye out for these grand openings and be sure to search for a home near your favorite new dining spot!