Denver-based Atomic Cowboy, known for operating the breakfast-centric Denver Biscuit Company, is expanding its local footprint with a new two-in-one restaurant planned for a prominent corner near downtown Overland Park.
Restaurant will share new UMB space off Metcalf
The newly remodeled UMB Bank building sits at 7101 W. 80th Street., on the recently remade corner of Metcalf Avenue just east of the heart of downtown Overland Park.
Atomic Cowboy owner Drew Shader hopes to open the Overland Park restaurant in that building just before Thanksgiving.
“The area is amazing,” Shader said. “The building is super cool, and (UMB) wanted the right partner to share the space with. It’s just a cool neighborhood and it felt like a great fit for what we do.”
Like its only other Kansas City area location in Westport, the Overland Park restaurant will be open all day, Shader said, led by Denver Biscuit Company in the mornings and afternoons and transitioning to Fat Sully’s Pizza in the afternoons and staying open into the evening hours.
Atomic Cowboy opened in Westport in 2020
The company has found a measure of success with their first Kansas City area location in Westport.
The company’s all-in-one-bar concept opened there in July 2020 and weathered the most tumultuous days of the COVID-19 pandemic, including local restrictions on businesses and dining.
Tressa Stamm, manager at the Westport location, credits their walk-up window where customers could grab slices and pizza pies from Fat Sully’s Pizza with helping them keep the lights on and finding an audience.
“We were the only Westport restaurant or bar to never close during or because of COVID,” Stamm said. “Now, we get to see over 200 people in the bar and dining area.”
Company officials have eyed Overland Park for years
Stamm said they aim to replicate much of the Westport design and concept in downtown Overland Park, but they won’t offer Frozen Gold, their proprietary soft-serve ice cream, which will still be available at their Kansas City location.
Stamm will be training staff at the Overland Park location, and expects to have different activities happening every night, like in Westport. For instance, Monday night in Westport is currently trivia night, hosted by Geeks Who Drink.
With seven locations in the Denver area, Shader said the company had long identified the Kansas City market as a natural fit for expansion.
Years prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Shader had begun circling spots around Overland Park.
“It just felt like the right place for our first out-of-state market,” Shader said. “There’s great connectivity between KC and Denver, as far as the locals go.”
What’s good at Atomic Cowboy?
Atomic Cowboy started as a dive bar in Denver but is now more known for its biscuit-centric menu, churning out giant, homemade buttermilk biscuits every morning.
Stamm favors The Franklin, with buttermilk fried chicken breast, bacon and cheddar cheese, smothered in sausage gravy.
Then, night owls can flock to the hand-tossed, New York-style pizza at Fat Sully’s, featuring fresh mozzarella cheese and tomatoes from New Jersey.
Shader said he is also proud of their Lights Out Burger, which has won accolades in Denver as the city’s best hamburger.
“We’ve really opened up the menu at Fat Sully’s in recent years to include things like wings and garlic knots,” Shader said. “Our clientele is across the board, and we’ll have the opportunity to host a lot of events in this space and make it a true neighborhood spot.”
Ben McCarthy is a contributor to the Post and other publications in the Kansas City area. He can be reached at ben.c.mccarthy@gmail.com with questions, comments and story suggestions.
