This fall, popular Kansas City-based ice cream shop Betty Rae’s will open up its first Johnson County location at 10470 S. Ridgeview Road, in Olathe, just across the city line from Lenexa.
It will be the local business’s third location in the Kansas City metro and the first outside Kansas City, Missouri.
Betty Rae’s opened in Waldo in 2016
After the success of its original flagship location, Betty Rae’s expanded to a second shop in the River Market of Kansas City in 2018.
The ice cream company is known for its variety of traditional flavors and wild seasonal combinations, like Joe’s BBQ Burnt Ends and Strawberry Pretzel Crunch. It also offers vegan and non-dairy options.
The company was purchased in May by Matt Shatto of Shatto Milk Company, with plans to expand.
Shatto owner lives in Olathe
The Olathe location is the first shop in a planned expansion of the brand.
Matt Shatto, who is also the founder and CEO of Shatto Home Delivery and co-founder and vice president of Shatto Milk, said the reason for the location was two-fold.
It’s close to home for him and also answers frequent requests he says they get for Betty Rae’s to have a location across State Line.
“That’s [Olathe] my hometown. It’s where I live,” he said. “I have three boys, so I wanted to get something closer to them, so they can kind of grow up working in the business.”
More details about the new location
The new Olathe location is set to open in either September or October, depending on how construction and permits go, Shatto said.
It will be in a 1,200-square-foot space between Salty Iguana and Sport Clips.
Shatto said the location will be close to venues like the Garmin Olathe Soccer Complex and nearby hotels.
“So we’re excited about that. And then honestly, there’s really a void as it relates to high quality ice cream desserts in that area,” he said.
The new location will be a change of pace for the ice cream business, marking their first truly suburban market.
“We’re excited to see how well and how excited the world of Olathe reacts to us. I know that the outreach and the comments that we’ve gotten so far have just been tremendous, more than I could ever have imagined,” Shatto said.
