Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify the timeline of the restaurant’s ownership and branding as Buffalo State Pizza Co.
A long-standing pizzeria in downtown Overland Park will soon begin a new chapter — just down the street from where it got its start.
After more than a decade under its current ownership in downtown Overland Park, Buffalo State Pizza Co. will move into a larger space on Santa Fe Drive.
Buffalo State Pizza Co. will operate at 7932 Santa Fe Drive
- The restaurant will move a few doors south of its original space at 7901 Santa Fe Drive, into a space next to The Peanut and Mexican eatery Red Kitchen: Cien Por Ciento Mexicana.
- The historic building was originally a Ford dealership and gas station in 1918 and has been vacant for roughly two years.
- More recently, the space has housed businesses like the Vinyl Renaissance & Radio record store and a tasting room for Overland Park winery Aubrey Vineyards.
The new location will have more space, new features
With a larger space, Lechevin said Buffalo State will have the ability to add several new features.
“It’s a beautiful building,” he said. “We fell in love with it when we walked in.”
Some of those new features will include a private event space with room for 40 to 45 people, a full-service bar, a designated pick-up area, and a stage for live music events.
A bigger kitchen also means some new items on the menu in addition to its New York-style pizzas — but what exactly will be added has yet to be finalized, Lechevin said.
“We know we’re going to tweak the menu because we’ve got more space than we had before,” he said.
The move will happen next summer
Though their lease at 7901 Santa Fe Drive ends in October 2025, Lechevin said the restaurant aims to be up and running in its new digs by next summer.
Prior to the reopening, it will temporarily close for two weeks to a month. The restaurant is also partnering with financial platform Honeycomb Credit to establish community investors for the new space.
The move marks the end of a chapter for the pizzeria — which originally opened as a Papa Keno’s in 1995, before changing ownership multiple times.
Lechevin and co-owner Steve Robson came on board as the owners of Papa Keno’s in 2013, then later left the Papa Keno’s brand and rebranded the restaurant as Buffalo State Pizza Co. in 2020. Buffalo State also has a second location in Kansas City, Missouri’s Crossroads district.
It’s a move that Lechevin calls “scary and exciting.” Ultimately, though, he’s looking forward to all that the restaurant’s new historic space has to offer.
“We’re really going to be in the heart of downtown Overland Park, facing the entrance of the farmers market, and we kind of bought a piece of history,” he said. “We’ve been here for 11 years. We really take care of the community, and the community takes care of us.”
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