Cityscape: Parkville restaurants and retailers are alive and well

By Joyce Smith

Quaint downtown Parkville might have quivered a bit when shiny new shopping centers began to open nearby.

And while some small business left for these “greener” paved pastures, other local entrepreneurs have settled in with offerings that are draws in themselves.

Take the new Spaghetti Western at 112 Main St.
Oklahoma native and Northland resident Melissa Robbins has long been a fan of spaghetti Westerns, those mid-1960s films financed by Italian companies. Her husband also is bass player for The Wilders, a “classic country” band.

So her new Parkville shop plays off those ties. Its eclectic mix includes “born again” or vintage used? cowboy boots — “half the retail price and half the work to break them in”; ranch home decor, such as knotty pine log beds; “saloon girl” lingerie; exclusive designs, such as tank tops with Honky on the front and Tonk on the back; Pocahontas and Indian chief prints; and novelty gifts that baby boomers played with as children, such as candy cigarettes and badges.

Once a month, usually on a Thursday, local musicians set up in the shop as visitors chow down on beef jerky and peanuts. Robbins recently had to block off the street with hay bales because of the large response. Outlaw Jim is scheduled to play there at 7 p.m. on Dec. 3.

Across the street from Spaghetti Western is the new Hattie’s Tea Room & Boutique with another unique design, this one reminiscent of a 1940s homespun kitchen.

Owner Marcia Cherrito cherishes memories of her late grandma — Hattie Riley — who kicked back every afternoon with a cup of Lipton tea.
So when the Parkville resident wanted to open a business on Main Street, she gave a nod to her ancestor and called it Shabby Hattie’s Tea Room & Boutique.

The shop, at 113 Main St., serves breakfast and lunch, including quiches, baked goods, hot cakes and waffles, soups, salads and sandwiches.

But Grandma might have been more impressed with Cherrito’s tea offerings, some 40 varieties — chocolate orange, pumpkin spice, apple crunch, Bourbon Street vanilla rooibos — along with vintage tea cups, teapots, books on teas, and 1940s era knickknacks and collectibles.

Currently customers might find items such as a pink feathered Christmas tree.
Hattie’s Tea Room is open for breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. It also will be open for special events, including tea time bingo from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9, an evening of desserts, beverages and prizes for $15 a person, reservations required.

“I’ve always dreamt of having a storefront in Parkville. It’s like a little tiny town in a big city,” Cherrito said.

While Piropos restaurant relocated to Briarcliff Village in 2006, the owners Gary and Cristina Worden kept their former spot — soaring above downtown Parkville at 1 W. First St. — and turned it into a banquet facility. It is nearly booked during the holidays and is a popular spot for engagement parties, wedding receptions and the like in the summer. But for most of the year it sits empty.

Now the Wordens are considering opening The Latin Grille in the spot. The new restaurant, which would open next spring, would have a wider selection of South American cuisines.
“Why leave it empty for most of the year?” said Gary Worden. “And our customers are asking us to reopen the spot. They say: ‘We would go to both places.’”

Meanwhile, the Power Plant Brewery & Restaurant, which closed a year ago, converted to the Power Plant Reception Facility earlier this year. It books private events, including teen dances, wedding receptions and corporate meetings, and allows customers to hire their own caterers and bring their own alcohol.

And that’s not all that’s new in Parkville.
Parkville resident Beth Phillips will open the D*luxe lounge and cigar deck in early December at 160 S. Main St. with a wrap-around deck and small plate menu. In January, JR’s House of Prime Rib, a sister restaurant to the Northland’s JR’s Bar & Grill, is scheduled to open in the former Yoshiko restaurant space at 160 English Landing Drive.

“We’re not unlike the rest of America. We have suffered the downturn in the economy, but recently we’ve noticed resurgence in downtown Parkville,” said Tom Hutsler, owner of several downtown Parkville properties and shops. “I’ve very encouraged by what we’ve seen. More families are coming to Parkville because it’s close to home and they can get that unique feel and entertainment factor.”