This massive Johnson County development just revealed the latest restaurant moving in
Enjoy Pure Food + Drink — a locally owned restaurant serving wraps, coffee, cold-pressed juices and more — will soon build its second location in the growing Restaurant Row near the Lenexa City Center.
“I do think we’re the healthiest restaurant in Kansas City,” said owner Staci Cross.
Enjoy’s first location in Leawood’s Mission Farms opened in 2016, accommodating vegan, vegetarian, keto and gluten-free diets. Menu stars include its spicy rooster sandwich (chicken, avocado, lettuce, jalapeno aioli) and kimchi fried rice.
The soon-to-be Lenexa spot is part of an ongoing project by developer Copaken Brooks. Several more new restaurants will be built in the area soon.
In August, Copaken Brooks announced North Carolina’s Tupelo Honey and Kansas City’s Cactus Grill would be built as part of a stretch of four new restaurant buildings — dubbed Restaurant Row — near 87th Street and Renner Road.
Tupelo previously told The Star the restaurant would open in 2025; Cactus said it was coming in spring 2024.
Cross’ new restaurant will sit closer to 87th and Scarborough streets. Cross hopes to open Enjoy by September 2024.
“We just try to keep everything high quality, and we translate that into our service,” she said.
Only one restaurant has yet to be announced in the first phase of Restaurant Row. Last month, Erin Johnston of Copaken Brooks told The Star that all four spaces had been signed, but developers were waiting on finalizing a few things with tenants to release their names.
Johnston did, however, drop a few hints on what the fourth restaurant will be — a Mediterranean fast casual restaurant. (And that’s besides Meddys, which is coming to West 88th Street and Maurer Road.)
The second phase of Restaurant Row involves the construction of the remaining two restaurant buildings, which will be divided between tenants.
On a neighboring lot just to the north on Renner Road, Copaken Brooks is undertaking yet another project: the new, 27.5 acre AdventHealth Lenexa City Center Campus. That project will include even more restaurant and retail tenants.
The project will be completed over several different phases.
Johnson said two or three restaurants could be part of the campus’ first phase, each with a health and wellness theme.
“Our first phase is contemplated to include about 16,000 square feet … of restaurant and retail space between two buildings,” Johnston said. “I would expect ... to include what could be coffee, or something like that.”
Phase one of AdventHealth, a $247 million project, is scheduled to open in 2025.
The campus will include a 100-bed hospital, hotel and medical offices.
“It’s a project that’s been a longtime coming,” Johnston said.
The exact layout of Cross’ new restaurant is still in the works, she said. An architect has provided Cross with a few different sketches.
Whatever layout is decided upon, Cross said the new restaurant will carry the same aesthetic of the Mission Farms location — light, airy, green, modern.
“I think it’ll be … something new for the people of the city of Lenexa,” she said.
