A new tapas restaurant will join this growing Johnson County entertainment district
Shawnee’s growing downtown is a hub for bars and breweries — including a James Beard Award finalist.
When Bryan Albers bought a former funeral home at 5815 Nieman Road, he was eager to join the list. But the liquor-heavy area needed more food options, he and his business partner, Stephanie Cashion, decided.
That was perfect for Cashion. She’s always wanted to open a tapas bar.
The pair’s restaurant, Gilda’s, will be a full-kitchen, full-bar restaurant with craft cocktails, wine and specialty tapas. Its menu is still being finalized, but Gilda’s is set to open this spring or summer.
Cashion, who also owns breakfast restaurant Glass Cat in Bonner Springs, is cooking up a list of savory Spanish shareables. Seafood, roasted meats. Plus, a dash of American cuisine.
“People can pop in and out and go visit some of the other places,” Cashion said. “That’s kind of the goal of the camaraderie of the area.”
The restaurant’s name is a nod to the Gilda tapa, with skewered olives, anchovies and peppers. And the tapa itself is named after Rita Hayworth’s 1946 film, in which she played a sweet and salty femme fatale.
Cashion loves Gilda: the tapa and the movie. Almost as much as she loves Spain.
“I go there as often as I can,” she said. For the restaurant, “the goal is, when you go in the door and shut the door, you’re not in Kansas City anymore.”
Construction has just begun. The duo is envisioning a Spanish-style interior and an old Hollywood feel.
“We kind of wanted to have a small, intimate experience,” Albers said.
In warmer months, customers can lounge on Gilda’s outdoor patio.
Albers hopes Gilda’s will become a destination within the district. He’s enjoyed getting to know his neighbors: Beard nominee Drastic Measures, Transport Brewery, Wild Child, Friction Brewery and more.
“The more the merrier,” Albers said.
