A military veteran and his wife have opened Graze Craze’s first Kansas City location in downtown Overland Park, setting up shop in a 1,153-square-foot storefront where customers can order hand-built boards, boxes and catering trays instead of assembling a spread themselves. Ron and Christine Pitts opened their Graze Craze franchise at 8025 Metcalf Ave.; the brand previously operated a shop in Kansas City, Missouri.
The shop sits on the ground floor of the Avenue 80 complex, a mixed-use development that is surrounded by more than 700 apartment units along the Metcalf Avenue commercial corridor, according to a Block & Company, Inc. Realtors property document. The storefront previously housed The Paleta Bar, a Mexican dessert business, as reported by the Johnson County Post. Ron Pitts spent 30 years in the Army before transitioning into small business ownership with the franchise, according to the Kansas City Star.
Christine Pitts previously worked in ministry at her local church, per the same Star report, and now she and Ron work alongside employees to arrange every charcuterie board by hand in the shop. “This is an exciting opportunity for us, sharing Graze Craze’s high-quality charcuterie with our community,” Christine Pitts said, according to the Star’s reporting. She added that the business handles menu options and event logistics so customers can spend less time preparing food and more time with their guests.
What’s On the Menu at the New Overland Park Shop
The Overland Park location offers Char-Cutie Cups for $9, a Grab & Graze option for $15, a Grazer Box serving up to two people for $32, and a Picnic Box serving up to four people for $55, per the Star’s rundown of the menu. Larger spreads include small boards serving up to 10 people for $120 to $185, medium boards serving up to 15 people for $155, and large boards serving up to 20 people for $185 to $275. The shop also sells sandwich trays, seasonal boards, featured boards and add-ons, with boards made to order in classic, vegetarian and sweet varieties…