A southern Overland Park pizzeria is poised to reopen under new management after closing last fall due to staffing shortages.
Papa Keno’s Pizzeria took to social media earlier this month to announce the restaurant would soon reopen its space in the Heatherwood Village Shopping Center at 14850 Metcalf Ave.
The restaurant is under new management
- Papa Keno’s website says its Overland Park franchise is reopening in March. However, as of late last week, the company said it is still “urgently hiring for all positions.”
- “Our doors will soon be open in Overland Park with a fresh start and new management,” the company wrote on Facebook. “Get ready to indulge in traditional handmade pizza, sandwiches, and calzones.”
- Company officials did not immediately respond to the Post’s inquiries about a tentative reopening date for the Overland Park restaurant.
Papa Keno’s closed last November
- At the time of its closing, President and Owner of Papa Keno’s Franchise Systems LLC David Hawley told the Post the restaurant needed to hire at least 15 new employees in order to reopen.
- Like many other businesses and institutions in Johnson County, Hawley said it is possible that obstacles related to the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to staffing issues.
- “Especially when a store is brand new and you’re first getting it up off the ground, it just takes a while to find a core group and consistency and a good culture within your staff,” Hawley said.
The pizzeria is based in Lawrence
- Papa Keno’s original restaurant opened in 1994, and its flagship location in Lawrence relocated to a new space along Massachusetts Street in 2021.
- The franchise opened its Overland Park restaurant, which is its only Johnson County location, in 2020.
Go deeper: Overland Park’s Papa Keno’s temporarily closed due to staffing shortage
