Kansas City Food Blog

Todd Schulte has an idea for this space, but no deal yet

​There's been a lot of incorrect information floating around about Todd Schulte's future plans. Schulte -- the entrepreneur behind The Happy Soup Eater, a home-made soup delivery service and Happy Gillis Cafe and Hangout, the popular soup-and-sandwich restaurant at 549 Gillis Street in Columbus Park -- has been reported to be moving his restaurant to a space in the West Bottoms. Not true.

Schulte is, however, contemplating putting a new restaurant concept -- he's not saying what that is yet, other than it would be international in flavor and might include soup -- in the old gas station building just catty-corner from the iconic Golden Ox Steakhouse.

Schulte hasn't signed a lease on the space. He's still thinking about the deal. "I'm 99 percent sure I'd like to open a restaurant there," he said. "There's a lot of daytime business in the Bottoms, but not a lot of dining options. What I wouldn't do is put another Happy Gillis in the space. It's too close to our original location."

Schulte is weighing several different concepts for the building, which could offer much more kitchen space -- one of the limitations of the Happy Gillis location -- and an appealing outdoor patio.