The city of Olathe is working on its next comprehensive plan. Part of that plan is to bring more activity to the downtown.
The city announced three new restaurants that are going to help change that. Olathe Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tim McKee, says the businesses will bring the area some new life and keep it local. Char Bar, Pizza 51, and Third Street Social are all local restaurants joining the food scene.
“Historically, you know, downtown Olathe has been kind of a government center. We haven’t had a whole lot of reasons for individuals to come into downtown Olathe. So, we were very deliberate in regard to trying to get some new restaurants,” said McKee.
Olivia AcreeMcKee says what the restaurants bring to the table is something that Olathe hasn’t seen for decades.
“One thing that we kept hearing over and over again from our residents was that they had to leave Olathe to get that dining experience,” said McKee.
Jason Pryor owns Pizza 51 in the South Plaza area. He says starting up shop in downtown Olathe is a risk, but one he’s looking forward to.