More restaurants opening soon in growing De Soto market

De Soto will soon have a new barbecue spot and a new restaurant sports bar with patio seating.

Leo’s Kitchen and Patio will open July 20 where the former Prater’s Silver Wheel was at 8385 Penner Ave. Co-owner Manny Garnuñ is opening a combination restaurant and sports bar that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Burnt End BBQ will take the place of the former Burger King off K-10 and open in mid-July. The Kansas City chain is expanding to the area – and expanding their offerings to drive-thru services.

Leo’s Kitchen and Patio 

Leo’s is a family business that Garnuñ is running with his parents, Manuel and Cristina Garcia, who are nearing retirement.

“My dad has always wanted a sports bar. ‘I want a sports bar. I want a sports bar,’” Garnuñ said, mimicking his dad. 

Garnuñ supported his parents’ decision to take on a new business opportunity and once he saw the “For Sale” sign on the building,  the decision was easy. 

Cristina Garcia said her husband has worked harder than anyone on renovating the 1,000-square-foot space, which was formerly primarily a sports bar. However, Garnuñ and his parents wanted to do more and provide the community with options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Garnuñ is excited for customers to experience Leo’s menu items, which will have a few favorite Mexican dishes, including his family’s famous tacos.

The entire building has had a complete makeover, Garnuñ said. It’s been repainted, received new flooring, bathrooms, kitchen and a brand new patio. 

“We’re slowly going to be adding,” Garnuñ said. “We want to see how the crowd goes: if it’s going to be more of a family restaurant, is it going to be more of a sports bar?”

The family has prior experience running a restaurant. They previously rented space for Don Manuel Cantina and Grill in Olathe. They sold the business right before COVID-19. They’ve known since then they were interested in another investment opportunity. 

Leo’s will have three main areas: the sports bar area, the dining area and the patio. Garnuñ has several plans to make the space a lively scene within the community.

“We’re trying to definitely provide a good atmosphere for different crowds,” he said.

From the beginning, Garnuñ and his family felt welcomed into the community after a Facebook post announcing the new restaurant received more than 500 reactions. 

“We have a lot of hope, and we hope to God that everything turns out well,” Garcia said. 

Built in 1920, the building holds historic value to the community. It has been primarily known as the local bar throughout the years. 

“It’s always been at least a restaurant or a bar or somewhere where somebody could get a drink or something to eat,” De Soto Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Sherelle Witt said. “I’m excited that the restaurant legacy is carrying on in that place.”

For the first month, Leo’s will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. It will open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Hours may change after the initial month.

Burnt End

Burnt End plans to integrate into the De Soto community without being just another restaurant chain. 

“We were looking for a place Burnt End would fit into,” said Stephen “Smokey” Schwartz, pit master and partner at PB&J Restaurants Inc., which manages Burnt End restaurants. “Our concept would be to get into the community more than just popping up a restaurant.”

Knowing what is happening in De Soto with the Panasonic plant, Schwartz said PB&J thought it was a great opportunity to bring Burnt End to town and show everyone what they’ve been doing in Kansas City. 

The first Burnt End restaurant opened in Overland Park in 2014. The second location is at Crown Center. There are also restaurants in Arkansas and Colorado. 

The De Soto location has been remodeled to fit the concept of a dine-in restaurant with a bar and will seat 60-65 people. 

PB&J restaurants include full-service bars, barbecue, sit down and catering, said Austin DeForest, director of operations. At the De Soto location, a drive-thru will be a new feature none of the other Burnt End restaurants have had.  

“We’re going to be learning drive-thru,” DeForest said. “We’re excited about that challenge, and that’s the interesting part of this concept and the way that our team has really modeled it.”

The dine-in menu will feature the traditional Kansas City-style barbecue in addition to new sandwiches and signature items, as well as steaks, chops and seafood, Schwartz said.

DeForest said a percentage of sales for a menu item will go to the De Soto High School Booster Club, and they will provide catering for the football team in the fall. 

“We’ve had that really good engagement to begin with,” DeForest said. “We look forward to more of them because, at the end of the day, it’s a small community at the core of it.” 

Burnt End will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. It will open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Witt, from the Chamber, said Panasonic’s arrival has brought many more asks and wants for the area.

“You need that growth to be able to support those businesses that you want to have in town,” Witt said. 

After speaking with the other local restaurants in town, Witt said they are extremely busy and are wanting more restaurants to come in and partner with because they can’t handle it all. 

“I think people are excited. People all the time are asking for more options,” Witt said. “This has given them the more options that they are desiring.”

Reach De Soto correspondent Katherine Diaz at [email protected].