After 15 years in business, Story in Prairie Village has closed. The American restaurant was owned by Carl and Susan Thorne-Thomsen; Carl was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Midwest in both 2013 and 2022.
But the space won’t stay dark for long. On Feb. 1, neighboring modern American restaurant Scratch Gourmet Kitchen will move into the former Story location. Scratch owner Tyler Morrison says the move will include an expansion that will nearly triple Scratch’s indoor dining capacity (3931 W. 69th Terr., Prairie Village, KS).
Scratch will host a grand re-opening celebration March 1. Executive Chef Mitchell Fetterling will debut a new spring menu along with Kaylee Addison’s expanded cocktail menu. The expanded space increases indoor seating from 38 to 95.
Fetterling, a Kansas City native, previously worked at the two-Michelin-star restaurant Saison in San Francisco and served as culinary director for Exit Strategy, a hospitality management group, where he developed the food programs at the now-closed Bar Medici and Verdigris cocktail lounge in Leawood.
Scratch began as a catering company in 2020 before opening Scratch Gourmet Kitchen in The Shops of Prairie Village in 2021, and its growth since has been steady. Looking ahead, the restaurant plans to continue expanding its Kansas City footprint, including a potential rooftop spot in downtown Overland Park.
“We want to be one of the top hospitality groups in Kansas City, not just a restaurant or catering service,” Morrison says. “Whether it’s a cocktail bar, catering a wedding, or a casual dinner, we aim to deliver an invested, high-class experience every time.”
