Dental Implants Near Olathe, KS

After serving Olathe residents and families for nearly seven years, Toni’s Italian Restaurant served its last customers at its Santa Fe Street location on Sunday.

“Saying goodbye to our Olathe location has been incredibly difficult, not just for our guests but for us as well,” the restaurant posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday. “These last few days have been bittersweet, and it’s hard to walk away from a place filled with so many memories.”

Toni Curri and Mario Maluko opened the Olathe location in 2018 and a new location in Shawnee about two months ago — which will serve as the restaurant’s home base moving forward since it’s been hard for the owners to find a new spot to rent in Olathe.

“Unfortunately the closure is entirely due to the upcoming I-35 Highway project,” the Facebook post read. “This past year has been one of the most stressful for our family as we’ve searched for a new location in Olathe. While we’re grateful to still have our Shawnee restaurant open, we haven’t yet found a space that fits our needs.”

The nearly $200 million project is for needed improvements on Santa Fe Street from Ridgeview to Mur-Len roads, and to construct a new interchange at Interstate 35. According to previous Star reporting, city officials say the interchange has a crash rate about six times the national average.

In order to make improvements, the city has to acquire the land and purchase properties — valued at nearly $22 million total — demolish them and make way for the project. The project is expected to displace 20 businesses and construction is set to begin in late 2026 or early 2027 and will last through 2029, according to previous Star reporting.

The city is scheduled to host a public meeting on March 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Indian Creek Library (16100 W. 135th St.) for residents to learn more about the improvements.

Olathe spokesperson Cody Kennedy told the Star via email that the city has been in constant communication with all of the property owners and businesses affected by the project.

“As set forth by strict state and federal laws in the process, we provide advisory services and administer payments needed to accommodate moves. Tenants are however required to find their own location,” Kennedy said in the email.

Toni’s Italian is one of the businesses that leased its location and required to find a new spot, but it’s been hard to find a replacement because of high rent for other buildings in the area, Bajram Maluko, the owners’ father and father-in-law, told the Star on Thursday.

The Santa Fe Street location cost about $7,500 per month, he said. Other locations the family explored were asking for $12,000 a month and another for $23,000 a month.

“That’s too much spaghetti,” Maluko said. “We got three families feeding from this business, you know? … It’s hard because everything’s expensive now, it’s not easy.”

The Double Nickel, a local bar, announced it will also close its doors because of the Santa Fe project after serving Olathe for 30 years. Mary Armstrong, the Double Nickel’s owner for eight years, declined to comment further on the bar’s closure and the project.

AR’s Breakfast and Brunch closed its spot at the intersection at the end of the year, but it hopes to find a new location in town soon. Bikes for the Likes of Us relocated to downtown Olathe, and Evexia Health and Fitness moved to a new studio on Antioch Road in Overland Park.

Karen Morris, the owner of Sweet Tee’s Coffee Shop on Santa Fe, told The Star that her business won’t have to close for the construction, but the road closures will affect how customers will access her shop.

“I think about 60 to 70% of our customers come off of Santa Fe,” Morris estimated. “Hopefully the shopping center will work with us on some signage to help direct customers in entering the shopping center.”

While she won’t have to close and she understands the need for the roadway improvements, she’s sad to see the impacts it’s had on her friends and fellow local business owners who rent out spaces.

“That’s the thing I’ve struggled with the most is the ones who have the most impact are those who don’t own their properties,” Morris said. “The landlords are going to get their fair value for their property, but for the business to find a place to move with inflation on rent… They [the city] are making efforts to help these businesses but it’s still not enough based on how the market is.”

TO

The Kansas City Star

Taylor is The Star’s Johnson County watchdog reporter. Before coming to Kansas City, she reported on north Santa Barbara County, California, covering local governments, school districts and issues ranging from the housing crisis to water conservation. She grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

MIAMI CO., Kan. (KCTV) - The search for a missing Olathe man continues into a second week as investigators continue to receive tips that he could be in rural Eastern Kansas.

The Miami County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office says that on Tuesday, March 11, investigators received a tip about the possible whereabouts of Jordan Yust, a man who had been missing for 9 days, that led them to the area of 247th and Ridgeview Rd., south of Spring Hill.

Based on the investigation, law enforcement officials said they believe Yust may have been in the area as recently as Sunday or Monday, March 10. As a result, around 10 K-9s were sent out to aid in the search.

After a 12-hour operation, the Sheriff’s Office indicated that evidence suggests the reported sightings on 169 Highway north of 255th St. over the weekend were likely Yust.

Law enforcement officials have urged the community to review any available dash camera footage, home or business surveillance, deer blinds or trail cameras for potential clues on where Yust may be.

Investigators noted that Tuesday’s search was aided by the Kansas Search and Rescue Team, Missouri Search and Rescue Team, Kansas Highway Patrol Aviation Unit and Taking It to the Streets.

The Sheriff’s Office indicated that Yust was last seen on March 3 as he left his home in Olathe and made concerning comments about possible self-harm. His vehicle was found around 5:40 that night near Highway 69 and 247th St. He was not found during an immediate search of the area.

Around 7:30 p.m. on March 3, law enforcement officials said a caller reported they had seen someone who matched Yust’s description near 247th and Jingo Rd. A multi-day, extensive search of the area involved cadaver dogs, drones, planes, a dive team, ATVs, UTVs, horses and volunteers. However, no clues were found.

On March 7, the Sheriff’s Office said another caller reported they had seen a man who matched Yust’s description wearing a light-colored hoodie near 233rd and Antioch Rd.

Investigators noted that a second call on March 7 revealed Yust may have also been in a long-sleeve shirt and jeans as he walked north in the southbound ditch of Highway 169 near 255th St.

Despite another extensive search of the area, law enforcement officials said Yust was again not located. A report on March 9 then suggested that he may have been a little farther north.

Yust has been described as a 38-year-old white man who stands at about 5-foot-7, weighs 175 lbs and has a brown beard, bald head and brown eyes. However, investigators indicated that his hair may be a bit longer now.

As a reminder, anyone who may have information about Yust’s whereabouts should report it to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 913-294-3232.

Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.

KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.

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Olathe has announced the next phase of development to bring some life back into the downtown.

In the winter, they announced that Char Bar, Pizza 51, and Third Street Social would all join the restaurant scene.

The most recent business to commit to a downtown location is Austin’s Bar and Grill, who have two other Olathe locations.

“We had already had thoughts of doing that, something downtown,” said Brandon Blum, Austin's owner. “The revitalization that the plan they have, we see it, we understand it, we want it.”

The bar will fill part of an empty building at 122 N Cherry St, plus they’ll add a rooftop bar.

Aside from Austin's, an ice cream and chocolate shop has leased a space, leaving up to three spots for additional tenants, including leftover rooftop space.

The city’s goal is to make Downtown Olathe a place that people can visit and stay awhile. The owner of Austin's told me how their project adds to downtown.

“The city's vision is very much what we're looking forward to, as far as they're hopefully going to be an area where it's going to be a district, more of a destination spot,” said Blum. “A district where people spend their day. So that's why we're excited about being involved with it.”

The project is called County Square Commons. It sits across from Johnson County Square Park.

Olathe hosted 93 events there last summer and hopes the new restaurant options keep that momentum going.

“The downtown doesn't really match the accomplishments and the success of the rest of the city," said Michael Berenbom, LANE4 Managing Partner. "We feel like it's just a matter of time until those come back into balance and Downtown Olathe reflects the vibrancy and success of the city overall.

As a business who prides themselves on community, they're happy to be a part of these changes in theirs.

“This is our community, and we want to stay here, and we want to build, and want to keep going,” said Blum.

Since 2021, projects like the new Johnson County Courthouse, library, and Johnson County Square Park have changed the face of downtown. These next projects will help bring the dream of a dining and entertainment destination to life.

County Square Commons anticipate a spring 2026 opening.

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