Busy Bee Cafe

Have a development question you want answered? Ask it here and you'll get your answer
Post Reply
barkerr
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 398
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:29 pm

Busy Bee Cafe

Post by barkerr »

Anyone know the status of this place? It's in the East Crossroads (for lack of a better term), just east of Grinders. It's a cute, quaint little place. Is it open? When did it close? Will it open again?

Thanks for the help.
User avatar
bahua
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 10925
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 7:39 pm
Location: Out of Town
Contact:

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by bahua »

Yeah, I don't know, but I'd definitely be interested in some information about it, too. I always just assumed that it was something that's been closed for years.
Pastense
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by Pastense »

This is gossip-level information. The Busy Bee is not open. It was owned & operated by a former KC fireman and catered to a customer base of firemen & cops. The fireman's son controls the property and operates a business in the building directly south of the cafe building.
barkerr
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 398
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:29 pm

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by barkerr »

Huh.

Thanks for the info, Past. Maybe it will open again someday.
User avatar
Thaine
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 607
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:46 pm

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by Thaine »

There was a boat supply company called Covert Marine that was in 3 or 4 buildings just East and North of the Busy Bee through the 60's and 70's.  I and about 70 other people worked there.  The Busy Bee was thriving until Covert Marine closed and several other businesses moved out.  I'm guessing it closed in '80 or '81.
barkerr
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 398
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:29 pm

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by barkerr »

Thaine wrote: There was a boat supply company called Covert Marine that was in 3 or 4 buildings just East and North of the Busy Bee through the 60's and 70's.  I and about 70 other people worked there.  The Busy Bee was thriving until Covert Marine closed and several other businesses moved out.  I'm guessing it closed in '80 or '81.
There are stories like these that makes me think someone should collect them into a book about Kansas City's buildings, past and present. I know there is that Then and Now series, but it'd be great to have some text that would describe the who and what of the buildings--who went there, what was it like, why did people stop going, why was the building torn down or built in the first place, etc. It'd help provide a context in which the buildings came to be.

Just dreaming here...
carfreekc
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2003 9:59 pm
Location: walking around

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by carfreekc »

barkerr wrote: There are stories like these that makes me think someone should collect them into a book about Kansas City's buildings, past and present. I know there is that Then and Now series, but it'd be great to have some text that would describe the who and what of the buildings--who went there, what was it like, why did people stop going, why was the building torn down or built in the first place, etc. It'd help provide a context in which the buildings came to be.

Just dreaming here...
That would be very cool. The secret history of our city...
barkerr
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 398
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:29 pm

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by barkerr »

carfreekc wrote: That would be very cool. The secret history of our city...
Exactly. To my knowledge no such book exists about Kansas City.
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by DaveKCMO »

looks like some serious masonry work is going on. building didn't have a roof for years.

http://aronrealestate.com/listings/1805-e-18th-st
mgh7676
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 552
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:00 am

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by mgh7676 »

DaveKCMO wrote:looks like some serious masonry work is going on. building didn't have a roof for years.

http://aronrealestate.com/listings/1805-e-18th-st
The glass facade was being put in this afternoon. There was some speculation a couple weeks ago that this could be lofts, but that seems unrealistic after seeing the facade (unless upstairs is converted to lofts).
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by DaveKCMO »

mgh7676 wrote:
DaveKCMO wrote:looks like some serious masonry work is going on. building didn't have a roof for years.

http://aronrealestate.com/listings/1805-e-18th-st
The glass facade was being put in this afternoon. There was some speculation a couple weeks ago that this could be lofts, but that seems unrealistic after seeing the facade (unless upstairs is converted to lofts).
permits point to a "white box" space for a restaurant.
mgh7676
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 552
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:00 am

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by mgh7676 »

DaveKCMO wrote:
mgh7676 wrote:
DaveKCMO wrote:looks like some serious masonry work is going on. building didn't have a roof for years.

http://aronrealestate.com/listings/1805-e-18th-st
The glass facade was being put in this afternoon. There was some speculation a couple weeks ago that this could be lofts, but that seems unrealistic after seeing the facade (unless upstairs is converted to lofts).
permits point to a "white box" space for a restaurant.
Dang. If it is just "white box" and not to any set spec, it is too bad they didn't incorporate the glazed brick that was on the original facade.
pash
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3800
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:47 am

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by pash »

.
Last edited by pash on Mon Feb 13, 2017 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
mgh7676
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 552
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:00 am

Re: Busy Bee Cafe

Post by mgh7676 »

More details about Busy Bee Cafe building. Still no announced tenant.
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... -buzz.html
Post Reply