Three years after a barbecue restaurant in Johnson County closed, its place is being taken by an Indian restaurant and a dessert shop.
Bikanervala — an international chain with locations in India, New Zealand, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates and New Jersey — will open in June in the old Smokey’s on the Blvd. BBQ spot at 8669 W. 135th St. in Overland Park.
The full-service, drive-thru restaurant offers a full lunch and dinner menu and sells grab-and-go snacks and desserts such as dosas (savory crepes), gulab jamun (puff pastries), samosas and more.
“It’s more of an Indian version of the Cheesecake Factory,” said owner Kapil Jain, “so you have all kinds of fresh sweets that you can buy … rather than a full-fledged restaurant.”
The menu includes dozens of desserts, snacks and main courses.
Kapil starts his own business with his brother Sripal Jain, who lives in India but spends several months a year in the Kansas City area.
Smokey’s, which opened in 2012, moved to the STempo a few years later before it closes in 2021.
Owner Winston Riley told The Star at the time that business never returned to pre-pandemic levels.
“I lost a ton of money,” he said. “I just had to cut my losses. I’m up to my neck in debt.”
This embedded content is not available in your region.
