Charcuterie enthusiasts in Johnson County officially have a new place to grab their favorite party boards.

Charcuterie shop Graze Craze recently opened its first local franchise with a new storefront in downtown Overland Park.

Graze Craze opened at 8025 Metcalf Ave.

• The shop took over a space in the Avenue 80 apartment building’s ground level, near breakfast eatery AR’s Breakfast & Brunch.
• Dessert shop The Paleta Bar previously occupied that space.
• Graze Craze’s Overland Park store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Graze Craze offers charcuterie in various forms

The shop offers made-to-order charcuterie boards and boxes for events like holidays, corporate meetings or even just picnics. The sizes range from a single serving to boards that can serve up to 200 people.

Graze Craze’s “classic” board comes with a selection of cured meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and crackers. For those with a sweet tooth, the “sweet” board comes with various chocolates, fruits, cookies and sweet dips.

The shop offers several other boards, including a vegetarian board and a brunch board with items like pastries and breakfast meats.

“You’ve got to taste it to believe it because it really is a totally different level than the things that you buy in the grocery store,” said franchise co-owner Christine Pitts.

For those looking for just a snack or a meal for one or two people, Graze Craze also offers smaller-scale spreads like the “grazer” (a spread for two people) or the “char-cutie-cup” for one.

Several of the bites on the board are proprietary to Graze Craze, and many items are made fresh on site.

“We make all of our hummuses, our breads, our cookies,” Pitts said. “We bake all of those here, and we make our jellies and jams all here in the store. It’s all the real stuff, so it makes a huge difference in quality.”

This marks the first Graze Craze shop in Johnson County

The Overland Park store is also the first in the wider Kansas City metro for the Florida-based company. It’s owned by franchisees (and husband-and-wife team) Ron and Christine Pitts.

Previously, Ron served in the United States Army for 30 years. Christine worked in ministry at her local church and has also long had a knack for crafts — which she said transfers well into the day-to-day Graze Craze.

“This is a craft as well, being able to create beautiful food for people,” Christine said.

So far, the couple said, the community has seemed enthusiastic about having a “healthier alternative” to the snack and pastry trays typically seen at work events and parties.

“Being the first one in Kansas, people aren’t really sure what Graze Craze is, so there is a lot of curiosity out there,” Christine said. “The reception has been really warm and welcoming.”

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