Southern kitchen and bar coming to Johnson County: Fried chicken, biscuits, cracklins
Bar and restaurant Tupelo Honey fuses old-school Southern flavors with modern style.
On its menu: loaded potato skins (or “cracklins”), fried green tomatoes, honey-fried chicken and waffles for brunch, and craft cocktails. Its bright decor and artful plating showcase “eclectic creativity,” says Jude Burnside, a spokesman for the restaurant.
And in early 2025, it will open a space in Lenexa City Center as part of the “Restaurant Row” development by Copaken Brooks, at 87th Street and Renner Boulevard.
The first construction phase of Restaurant Row includes Tupelo Honey and Kansas City area-based Cactus Grill. More spaces are for lease, Copaken Brooks announced in late July.
“Lenexa City Center remains in high demand for restaurants, retail, and office,” said Keith Copaken, principal of the company.
Nearby, the Lenexa Public Market food hall features more dining options, like Kimchi and Bap and Mr. D’s Coffee.
Tupelo Honey opened in 2000 in Asheville, North Carolina.
Today, it has 21 locations across the country. The Lenexa location will be its first in the Kansas City area.
“There is no better place to build a loyal group of customers than in a growing and walkable development,” Burnside said. “(Restaurant) Row at Lenexa City Center is the perfect location to share a little bit of Appalachia with Kansas City.”
