Shortly before Thanksgiving, Johnson County lost its second Applebee’s Grill + Bar location in the last six months when the Lenexa location on 95th Street shuttered after 34 years in operation.
Known by many locals as the “Oak Park Mall Applebee’s,” that location’s last day serving food was Nov. 12.
Applebee’s Lenexa lease was not renewed
According to the local Applebee’s franchise group, Apple Central LLC, the decision was out of their hands and is a harbinger of coming changes at the Oak Park Commons shopping center.
Carrie Hellyer, area director of Applebee’s franchises, said they could not come to an agreement to renew the lease in Lenexa despite the longstanding partnership.
“The lease was up and the landowner decided not to renew,” Hellyer said. “We were told the shopping center is for sale.”
The Oak Park Commons shopping center has a new sign posted along 95th Street advertising contact information for Legacy Development, the property management group for the retail development.
Other tenants at Oak Park Commons echoed Hellyer’s assessment that changes are seemingly afoot.
There are 10 remaining Applebee’s in KC metro
Though the closing of the Applebee’s close to Thanksgiving may have caught some customers by surprise, Hellyer said the writing was on the wall earlier this year.
“This was not a big surprise, we knew for six months that this was happening,” Hellyer said. “All managers and employees (migrated) to different locations. We still have 10 locations in town, from Leavenworth to Blue Springs.”
The sign on the door at the now-shuttered Lenexa location thanked patrons and invited them to visit other Johnson County area Applebee’s in Mission on Johnson Drive, in Overland Park at 110th Street and Metcalf Avenue and in Olathe on 135th Street.
What will happen at Oak Park Commons next?
On Monday, officials with Legacy Development declined to respond to questions about the property and future plans.
A company representative contacted the unnamed landowner, who also chose not to respond. Pace Properties, based in St. Louis, does have an online listing of Oak Park Commons still posted.
Oak Park Commons includes retail space along the north side of 95th Street, stretching from I-35 to Westridge Middle School. It encompasses most stores within the space, but it does not include Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Planet Fitness or McDonalds.
Scott Fischer, director of communications for the Apple Central franchise group, said a similar situation this past spring forced the closure of the Shawnee location after 33 years of operation.
“We love K.C., but it’s changing,” Fischer said. “We’re doing the best we can, but there’s not a lot we can do when a landlord decides to go another direction after a long lease has expired.”
An Applebee’s in Lawrence also closed in April.
Applebee’s used to headquartered in JoCo
Applebee’s first location in the Kansas City market opened in 1986, just a few years before the Lenexa location.
By 1989, Applebee’s International, Inc. called Kansas City its home headquarters, first in Overland Park, then Lenexa, and finally moving across the state line to Kansas City.
By the end of the 1990’s, Applebee’s maintained two dozen restaurant locations around town. The company would leave for Glendale, California, in 2015, and is now owned by Dine Brands.
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.
