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As one pizzeria closes in Overland Park, another is on the way

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Since opening its first pizzeria in 1985, Glory Days Pizza has gradually grown into six across the state, including one in Shawnee.

Later this year — its 40th in business — the restaurant’s Johnson County footprint will expand even further — this time further south.

Glory Days Pizza will open its new southern Overland Park location this spring, in the former home of recently-closed Papa Keno’s Pizzeria.

Pending the permitting and remodeling processes, co-owner David Tofflemire estimated the new spot will open its doors in March or April.

Glory Days Pizza is coming to 14850 Metcalf Ave.

  • The restaurant will occupy a space at the Heatherwood Village shopping center, near Kushi Indian Restaurant.
  • Lawrence-based pizzeria Papa Keno’s occupied that space for roughly three years (including a brief closure due to lack of staffing and reopening with new management) before closing last fall.
  • Once it opens, Glory Days Pizza will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day — the same hours as its Shawnee location, Tofflemire said.
Overland Park Glory Days Pizza
A “works” pizza from Glory Days Pizza. Photo via Glory Days Pizza website.

Glory Days Pizza serves ‘unparalleled’ fresh pizzas

The restaurant’s menu features classic pizzas like cheese and veggie pizzas, along with specialty pizzas like chicken bacon ranch, baked potato, chicken spinach alfredo and “the works” (which comes with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, beef, pork sausage, fresh mushroom, onion, green peppers and black olives).

Customers can also create their own pizza by choosing the size, crust, sauces and toppings themselves.

In addition to pizza, Glory Days Pizza also serves chicken wings, salads, sandwiches, pastas and sweet treats like cinnamon apple pizza and chocolate chip cookies.

This marks the second Glory Days Pizza in Johnson County

The original Glory Days Pizza opened in Topeka in 1985. Today, there are four locations across the city, along with one in Lawrence.

The pizzeria’s first Johnson County location opened in Shawnee at the end of 2021.

Tofflemire said he and co-owners George Hughes and Jason Lehnherr have had their eye on southern Johnson County for expansion for a while.

When Papa Keno’s closed and left the Overland Park space up for grabs, he said it felt like a perfect fit for what they envisioned.

“It looked like a great opportunity, lots of residential and a lot of business in that area,” he said. “The footprint of the area really fits our operation.”

Right now, Tofflemire said they’re taking things one pizzeria at a time. But in the far off future, he said more locations definitely aren’t out of the question.

“Our goal is to kind of branch out and operate in multiple locations across the metro, starting here in Johnson County,” he said. “Hopefully this second location in Johnson County allows us to really move forward with more growth.”

Want more food and drink news? Healthy eatery Nautical Bowls closes its doors in Overland Park

About the author

Lucie Krisman
Lucie Krisman

Hi! I’m Lucie Krisman, and I cover local business for the Johnson County Post.

I’m a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but have been living in Kansas since I moved here to attend KU, where I earned my degree in journalism. Prior to joining the Post, I did work for The Pitch, the Eudora Times, the North Dakota Newspaper Association and KTUL in Tulsa.

Have a story idea or a comment about our coverage you’d like to share? Email me at lucie@johnsoncountypost.com.

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