By JOYCE SMITH
What better place to show contemporary furniture than one of the most unique retail spaces in the city?
By Design Direct has opened in the Interstate Caves at the southeast corner of Interstate 435 and 23rd Street. With their curved walls and lack of windows, the caves give a futuristic background to the inventory — sofas, dining room sets, bathroom vanities, bedroom furniture and more.
Henrik Svendsen closed his Danish Inspirations in Overland Park in mid-2004. He is now concentrating on the import side of the business and is supplying the store. Peter Kristensen, a former manager at Danish Inspirations, is now sales manager at By Design Direct. Between them they have more than 40 years of experience in the furniture business.
The Reeder Family Trust, which has owned the caves for 30 years, also owns the new 30,000-square-foot store. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Brookside pizza
Mike DePalma, a partner in the Brooksider Bar & Grill at 6330 Brookside Plaza, plans to open a pizza operation two doors down with two new partners.
They would take the former Foot Traffic space at 6324 Brookside Plaza. The 4,200-square-foot operation would have pizza and pizza by the slice, salads, calzones and more for dine-in or carryout.
The owners also will add a back deck with a walk-up window for to-go orders. A name has not been selected, but an early July opening is planned.
Gallery move
Leopold Gallery will relocate from the Crestwood Shops to Brookside.
Paul Dorrell, owner of the gallery and a national art consultant, will take over most of the first floor of Latin American Imports at 324 W. 63rd St. He plans to showcase original works from Kansas and Missouri artists.
Latin American Imports still will sell jewelry on the first floor and imports in the basement. The owner could not be reached for comment.
The combined shop is to open March 30.
Grilling bonanza
The owners of Cheesehead Homemade Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches will open a second concept on 39th Street’s restaurant row.
Spitfire Grill & Wine Bar at 1809 W. 39th St., will offer 20 red wines and 20 white wines for $20 a bottle. Dining will include prime rib, cherry-grilled pork tenderloin, rotisserie chicken, maple-infused salmon, and cheese plates paired with wines by the glass.
The lunch menu will include some of the gourmet cheese sandwiches offered at Cheesehead.
A seven-foot rotisserie will serve as a centerpiece of the dining room. Spitfire should open in early May.
J. Barleycorn’s Bar & Grill at 9148 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, has a new owner. Jimmy Patel plans to redecorate and change the name to Jimmy’s Pub & Grill. He also will add Mexican and Italian items to the menu.
Jerry Gaines and Larry Gaines of Block & Co. Realtors Inc. handled the negotiations for Spitfire and Jimmy’s.
No Chubby’s changes
Haig Norwood, who purchased Chubby’s on Broadway in early January, said he planned no changes for the operation at 3756 Broadway.
Norwood was a general manager of a steakhouse in California while earning his MBA and then worked in information technology health care. He always wanted to own a restaurant and decided on an established location rather then building from the ground up.
“I wouldn’t mess with what is already a successful formula,†he said.
Brewery reopening
75th Street Brewery hopes to reopen Friday.
The operation has been shuttered since a Feb. 16 fire that destroyed some of its neighboring businesses, including Kennedy’s Bar & Grill. It had to clean, reseal and repaint before reopening.
