Joe and Maggie Zahner, a Prairie Village couple with decades’ worth of restaurant experience between them, are getting ready to make their lifelong dream of opening their own restaurant a reality this May, when they launch OurHouseKC.
The Zahners are opening the American-style restaurant at 1815 W. 39th Street in Kansas City, Mo., just across State Line Road from the University of Kansas Hospital.
Maggie said she and Joe wanted to create an experience, which is why OurHouseKC will feature live music and a cafe.
As parents of four children themselves, Maggie said they wanted to be sure the restaurant was a welcoming environment for everyone.
“We just tried to create this concept so that every walk of life feels comfortable here — whether you’re going on a date night, coming in with a bunch of kids or you’re an older couple wanting to enjoy a nice Sunday brunch,” Maggie said.
The Zahners began looking for a restaurant space before the pandemic.
Although they were concerned about opening during COVID-19, Maggie said it made them believe in their concept even more.
Even before the spread of COVID-19 upended the restaurant industry’s traditional practices, Maggie said they had a plan that focused on making the customers’ experience easy.
So, they won’t have standing room by the bar to wait on tables, they’re emphasizing curbside and to-go orders and making space for an outdoor patio.
As for the menu, customers can expect a variety of dishes at OurHouseKC.
The restaurant will serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Maggie and Joe are putting a Kansas City spin on a number of dishes such as a French dip sandwich made with burnt ends and a Kansas City cheesesteak with sliced brisket, smoked in-house.
After a little more than a year into the pandemic, between canceled events and shutdowns, Maggie said she thinks OurHouseKC’s atmosphere will mean more than ever before for those who come in to dine.
“I think it’s going to seem that much more special after the year everyone has been through,” Maggie said. “We’re just really excited to be able to provide jobs to people who have been out of work in the service industry — and make this dream come to life.”
