Manhattan, Kansas-based Booth Creek Wagyu is set to open its first KC-area retail beef shop soon near 135th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park.
Founder and CEO Dave Dreiling calls the Booth Creek Wagyu retail concept, which sells meat from the Wagyu Japanese beef cattle breed, the “jewelry store of beef,” selling steaks, ground beef, burgers, hot dogs and other Wagyu beef products raised in the Kansas Flint Hills.
Booth Creek set to open this month
- The new 1,400-square-foot store will open in the former Edible Arrangements space at 13412 Metcalf Ave. in the Deer Creek shopping center near Nothing Bundt Cakes and Scissor & Scotch.
- It’s expected to open its doors at the end of August following a brief period of renovations, according to a news release from the company.
- “We’ve been anxious to roll [Booth Creek Wagyu] out into a metro [area],” Dreiling told the Post. “We love the Kansas City community — it’s a big foodie town.”
Booth Creek started in Manhattan 3 years ago
By the time the first retail store from Booth Creek opened in late 2021 in Manhattan, the company already had a foothold in the industry thanks to online sales and its nearby distribution center.
That first shop, Dreiling said, was something of a “test case” for the company.
He said Booth Creek hopes to replicate the retail experience offered in Manhattan at the new Overland Park store.
Every piece of beef sold in the store and in the online marketplace comes directly from the Booth Creek ranch north of Manhattan.
Booth Creek offers Wagyu education as well
Dreiling said a lot of people have possibly heard of Wagyu beef but aren’t necessarily as familiar with the specifics of the classification system.
“The eating experience on a couple of different steaks could be vastly different based upon that marbling percentage,” Dreiling said. “Arguing over the best Wagyu would be like arguing over the best coffee or the best beer; for everyone, it’s based upon your own taste buds, and no one is wrong.”
As shoppers peruse and purchase products, Dreiling said Booth Creek also offers knowledge about the Wagyu they might be purchasing and figure out what they’re most likely to enjoy.
He said that extra education piece is a unique service in the Wagyu beef industry.
Booth Creek has four grades of American Wagyu and full-blood Wagyu beef based on the intramuscular fat percentage, or marbling.
Those range from silver class (10% to 15% marbling) to reserve class (40% or greater marbling). There are also gold and platinum classes between those two grades.
For comparison, a USDA prime beef cut is usually about 8% to 11% marbling.
Booth Creek Wagyu plans for more KC-area stores
- Dreiling declined to comment on specifics for future Kansas City locations, but he did say he expects the Kansas City area to have multiple stores, possibly two or three.
- “We’re just going to start off with this first one [in Overland Park] and see how it goes,” he said.
- Booth Creek is also eyeballing other markets for possible retail expansion but exactly where is unclear.
More Deer Creek shopping news: Pedego Electric Bikes opens first Overland Park location at Deer Creek Marketplace
