Since he was a teenager, it’s come naturally to Joe Smith to be surrounded by records.
It all started when he landed a part-time job at a record store in 1987. After 15 years of working for entertainment retail company Trans World Entertainment, which owned multiple chains of music stores, he launched his own: Joe’s Records.
“That’s all I’ve ever done,” Smith said. “It was just something I really enjoyed doing.”
Today, Joe’s Records has stores in three cities; and it’s about to say hello to another one. Next year, the store will open a new location inside the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.
Joe’s Records is coming to 11149 W. 95th St.
- The shop will occupy a space at the Oak Park Mall, which is just off 95th Street and Quivira Road in Overland Park.
- There, it will join a growing number of incoming additions, such as Añejo Modern Mexican Cuisine.
- Pending renovations to their new space, Smith said the store will likely open in spring 2027.
Joe’s offers records, CDs and more
The new Overland Park store will offer vinyl records and CDs in a variety of different genres, as well as some rock-themed apparel.
Though lots of music lovers seek out Joe’s for its heavy metal and rock selections, the store’s inventory doesn’t leave anyone out in terms of their preferences or their taste. The store will also stock genres like hip-hop, rap, country and alternative music.
It’s not uncommon, Smith said, for stores to adjust their inventory based on customer demand in the new cities the company expands to.
“We really don’t care what you like as long as you like something,” he said. “We’re there for everybody.”
This will be the first Joe’s Records in Johnson County
The new Oak Park Mall store will also be the first in the wider Kansas City metro area for Joe’s Records.
The company has stores inside malls in St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, and in Memphis, Tennessee.
“There’s a lot of really fantastic commerce going on right now in these malls,” Joe said. “Our thing is we just want to bring back that ’80s, ’90s mall store aesthetic.”
Joe owns the record business with his wife, Jen Smith. The two of them live in St. Louis, near the company’s flagship store.
Their two sons, now 20 and 18 years old, have been working alongside them for years. Both of them, Joe said, want to help continue to grow the business.
“It’s a real family affair type deal, and that’s my favorite part,” Joe said.
With the Oak Park Mall’s traffic and growth still on the horizon for the mall, Joe said he has high hopes for the store’s Johnson County debut.
Even beyond the store themselves, though, part of the excitement comes from the momentum that the record business as a whole has gained over time. After all, Joe has been riding that wave since he was 19.
“It’s so awesome that this made such a massive comeback, and we stuck around long enough to really benefit from it,” Smith said. “I love the business and the fact that it’s doing well. I’m prouder of it than I am of me.”
Want more local business news? Where Rock & Brews once stood, a boutique for local makers has opened at Prairiefire
