By CHARLES FERRUZZA
As far as the hamlet of Mission, Kansas, is concerned, the town isn’t big enough for two queen bees.
While customers still flock to the Mission outlet of Applebee’s, its more sophisticated, independently owned neighbor, Melbee’s, is calling it a day.
I never thought Melbee’s was a good fit for Johnson Drive, with its inexpensive diners (Town Topic, Village Inn), hardware stores, shoe repair shops and an Apollo Hair Replacement System. I once asked Melbee’s owner Lloyd Boothe if “downtown” Mission was somewhat blue-collar for the Melbee’s crowd, who drank martinis and not only knew the lyrics to Cole Porter songs, but could – and did! -- sing them along with the restaurant’s piano players.
“I was told many, many times that Melbee’s was the right concept in the wrong location,” says Boothe, who announced today that he was closing his six-year-old restaurant at the end of July. “Even one of our Mission city councilmen said that Mission’s residents were newlyweds and newly dead. They don’t want upscale cuisine. I had Stroud’s at one end and Applebee’s at the other.”
Technically the new Stroud’s is in Fairway, but Boothe’s point is that the closest neighbors to his cozy little restaurant preferred home cookin’. Meanwhile, the demographic he thought would clamor for his tasteful little boite – the homeowners who lived south of Shawnee Mission Parkway or in nearby Fairway or Westwood – weren’t coming in often enough for chef Tyler Van Slyke’s dinners.
Melbee’s regulars (upper middle-class professionals, over 35) loved the restaurant and Boothe was hoping that an upscale condo-retail development planned for the site of the old Mission Center would bring in more of that business. Weeds continue to grow on that property, though, and the discussion about building an aquarium as a regional tourist draw didn’t bode well for Melbee’s. The families that would visit the proposed aquarium, Boothe noted, are more likely to eat at Applebee’s than Melbee’s.
“This wasn’t a restaurant where customers brought children,” Boothe says. “I never had a children’s menu and I had one high chair that looks like it was never used.”
Would Boothe ever consider opening another restaurant?
“I suppose,” he sighs, “if someone came along and wanted to invest as a partner, I might consider re-opening Melbee’s somewhere else or re-opening in this location as a family-style restaurant. I’d be open to discussion.”
Boothe is finishing out the month with a wine dinner on July 15 (the $69 meal includes four courses and four different vintages) and the fund-raising “Christmas Eve in July” event on July 24. Melbee’s is only serving dinner until the final day of operation, July 31.
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I liked MelBee's the first time companion and I ate there. Very good service, romantic.... however the last time was the last time for a reason... waiter was too too too pushy on getting us to order drinks and wine and didn't know some items on the menu and the soup was the only great thing to cheer about. I just thought their passion had gone. You left feeling gyped. Anyway those are my comments. You just can never quit with customer service. So I wasn't surprised to hear they had closed.
WOW, Melbee's was the only reason my husband and I returned to Kansas to visit when we left 4 years ago.
It was a great escape from the boring steak houses and barbeque restaurants.
The first time we went to Melbee's it felt like I was walking into a restaurant in New York or Chicago.
What a loss - it was a great restaurant, fabulous food, wonderful wine, excellent service and no children!!!
The comments by Donald are rude and inappropriate. I've got many friends who are struggling in small businesses at the moment due to the economy. I've owned a small business and it often isn't easy. Comments wishing ill will on someone in a tough time is not very neighborly. Show some class. On second thought, you just did show your class.
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