Two rooftop restaurants and more are coming to downtown Olathe as part of an ongoing effort to revitalize the district.
Longtime Johnson County bar and grill Austin’s will open its fourth location inside a renovated building southeast of Cherry and Santa Fe streets dubbed “County Square Commons,” according to a press release from developer Lane4. Austin’s will have a rooftop patio, as will another restaurant tenant that has yet to be announced.
The building will have four or five tenants in total. Fifth & Emery Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate (formerly Yogurtini KC) will move into the north end of the building.
LANE4 says developers are seeking to preserve the 100-year-old building’s historic charm while revamping the space, which formerly housed Vader’s bar and three other businesses that were forced to close in October.
“Downtown Olathe has arrived at a tipping point. After years of re-investment by the City and private developers, the vision for one of the most dynamic suburban downtown districts in the region is really coming together,” Michael Berenbom, a managing partner with LANE4, said in the media release.
Since the opening of the $193 million Johnson County District Courthouse in 2021, the city and county have been working to improve Johnson County Square, the public space between the Johnson County Administration Building and the courthouse. A multipurpose stage and additional seating have been added in the past few years.
In October, Olathe’s Chamber of Commerce announced the arrival of three restaurant tenants to its downtown area.
Char Bar will open at 200 W. Santa Fe St. in late 2025 or early 2026. Nearby, American comfort food restaurant Third Street Social will open its fourth location at 135 S. Kansas Ave. sometime in 2025.
Pizza 51 is set to open in an old auto shop at 200 S. Kansas Ave. in spring 2025.
Vader’s, a bar of 12 years, closed in the now-called County Square Commons building at 122 N. Cherry St. in October after telling The Star he had spoken to a potential developer about their plans for the building, which didn’t include him.
“It’s been a roller coaster of emotions,” he said at the time.
Austin’s has been in Olathe since 1987. It has spots at 2103 E. 151st St., 11180 S. Lone Elm Road, and 245 N. Moonlight Road in Gardner.
Read the full article by the KC Star here.
