Wally Kennedy: Big Biscuit restaurant coming to former Panera Bread site

Apr. 21—The Big Biscuit, a breakfast and lunch concept with its headquarters in Prairie Village, Kansas, plans to open a restaurant in the former Panera Bread location at 2401 E. 32nd St.

If all goes as planned, the restaurant will open in late August or early September, according to the company. The restaurant will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

The Big Biscuit was launched in 2000, offering guests generous portions of freshly prepared and familiar comfort food. Menu items include biscuits and gravy, pancakes, omelets, French toast and eggs Benedict, 24-hour brined and hand-breaded chicken dishes, half-pound burgers, salads and a line of iced coffees.

The Big Biscuit has 24 locations in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and plans to expand into Northwest Arkansas this year.

Panera Bread relocated last month from an East 32nd Street shopping center to a new $1.4 million standalone restaurant at 2101 S. Range Line Road, the former site of Pizza by Stout.

Main Street Hardee'sThe unexpected closure of a Hardee's restaurant last week in Joplin appears to be part of something bigger.

At least seven other restaurants in the chain have closed recently in Springfield and Columbia, and in Wichita and North Topeka in Kansas. The company has not disclosed the reason for the closures. Hardee's currently operates more than 1,800 locations across the U.S.

In most cases, the company is continuing to operate in those communities but on a smaller scale. You can still eat at the Hardee's on South Range Line Road or on West Seventh Street. There's also a Hardee's in the Love's Travel Center on Highway 43.

The store at 1810 S. Main St. opened in 1987 on the site of the former Junge Bakery.

It's not clear what's happening, but there appears to be a shakeout underway in the burger business. The closure of the Hardee's in Joplin follows the recent closures of the Burger King in Webb City and in the food court at Northpark Mall. Burger King recently announced it was closing 26 additional restaurants in the chain, but none of them are in our area.

In most instances, the employees of these closed restaurants had no warning that the closure was imminent.

These closures are happening at a time when, for the most part, fast-food restaurants are thriving thanks in large part to inflation-weary customers looking for deals when it comes to purchasing their food.

Closing

Speaking of closings, the Orange Julius/Dairy Queen has closed after decades of operation in the food court at Northpark Mall.

The food court now has four restaurants — China Pantry, It's Greek to Me, Chick-fil-A and Charley's Philly Steaks — and a cookie shop, Great American Cookies.

RelocatingExpress RX has moved from the City Pointe shopping center at 501 S. Madison St. in Webb City to the former Prater's Pharmacy in a historic storefront at 101 W. Daugherty St.

The move took place on Wednesday. There are now two vacancies in City Pointe following the recent closure of East Buffet.

Express RX, which opened in City Pointe in April 2020 after the closure of the Pronto Pharmacy, also has pharmacies in Joplin, Carthage and Miami, Oklahoma.

Contact Wally Kennedy at wkennedy@joplinglobe.com.