Category: Business

by William Crum

There is a small café located at 1315 Fairfax Trafficway in Kansas City, Kan. The place I’m referring to is called Lou Lou’s. They serve breakfast and lunch between the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. They are open from Tuesday to Friday.

A lot of people regard this little place, formerly a gas station, as one of the best cafeterias in Wyandotte County. They are known for their home-cooked meals. In fact, according to a lot of people, their biscuits and gravy is the best they’ve ever had.

The story behind this little hole-in-the -wall is totally remarkable. It came about four and a half years ago, when a woman, Linda Keys, who grew up in Rosedale, and her daughter, Shae Plattenburg, decided to start their own cafeteria. They used their lifelong savings to start this.

“Both my mother and I have always had dreams of starting a small cafeteria where you get home-cooked meals and get excellent speed of service. This is how Lou Lou’s came about,” Plattenburg said.

But now Lou Lou’s existence is threatened. The levee area at Fairfax, near Kaw Point, is being redeveloped by NorthPoint Development. Developers want to put in some new buildings in the area, giving this part of the Fairfax industrial area new life. Existing buildings there will be torn down. They may have to tear down the Lou Lou’s cafeteria to put in a road, therefore destroying the dream both Shae and her mother had.

Recently Shae went before a committee meeting of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and pleaded with them not to tear the place down. UG Commissioner Gayle Townsend asked her to go before the commission and explain why they should not tear it down. The commission, after hearing Shae’s testimony at a committee meeting, has not made a final decision on it, and a commissioner asked NorthPoint Development to see if there’s any way possible that the cafeteria would not be torn down.

On Thursday, June 5, a meeting was held at Lou Lou’s regarding this issue. A representative from the mayor’s office and NorthPoint Development were at this meeting. A representative of NorthPoint Development said they could possibly move the cafeteria to a vacant spot in the levee area and would have to tear the current cafeteria down.

“Both my mother and I told the representatives that they could not see any way for this to happen. The current location has a lot to offer; it has easy in and easy out, which in this area is ideal, especially for those who work at the Fairfax industrial area. They come in, and get the food and leave. Which makes it ideal for those workers who only have short lunch breaks,” Shae said.

This is the only cafeteria in the Fairfax industrial area, Shae added.

Soon the issue of what will happen to Lou Lou’s cafeteria will come before the UG Commission.

It could very easily happen that Linda and Shae’s dreams would be crushed in the name of progress, Shae said.

“I’m really worried about the outcome of the situation. I don’t know what to think,” she said.

The Sunderland Foundation, which for 69 years has donated to many causes throughout the Kansas City area, has made the largest donation in its history to support the construction of a new hospital for The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.

The $2 million dollar grant will go toward Cambridge North, a new 92-bed hospital on the Kansas City, Kan., campus to support surgical oncology and neurosurgery.

The gift was announced by Kent Sunderland, president of the Sunderland Foundation, and Charles Sunderland, who is chairman of Ash Grove Cement. Kent and Charles Sunderland were also honorary co-chairs of the hospital’s major fund raising event Treads and Threads in 2013. Charles Sunderland has been a long time member of The University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board.

“I have watched this hospital grow into a national leader in quality patient care and an economic force in the Kansas City area. Patients need access to the leading edge services The University of Kansas Hospital provides and the Sunderland Foundation is pleased to do our part to support this community asset,” Charles Sunderland said.

The University of Kansas Hospital has seen patient volume grow 30 percent in the last five years, a spokesman said. Its fastest growing services – neurosciences and surgical oncology, which include many ear, nose and throat procedures – have grown nearly 40 percent over that period. Those specialty areas will move into Cambridge North, which will be located on the northeast corner of 39th and Cambridge Street.

“The construction schedule will depend on philanthropy,” said Bob Page, president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Hospital. “With leaders like the Sunderlands, joining Deanna and Greg Graves and others, we see a momentum growing for this project throughout the metropolitan area.”

Deanna and Greg Graves announced a $1 million personal donation to go along with the Burns and McDonnell Foundation’s $2.5 million gift.

“It is the record of the hospital itself that is building the momentum for Cambridge North,” said Greg Graves, chairman and chief executive officer of Burns and McDonnell. “Community leaders are expressing interest in the hospital’s plans. Deanna and I are working hard to turn that interest into philanthropy for this project.”

Graves said William H. Dunn Sr. and Phil Kirk Jr. have agreed to be honorary chairs for the effort to support Cambridge North.

“It is no surprise to anyone in Kansas City when the Sunderland family comes forward to support a worthwhile project in Kansas City. But we will need many other community leaders and organizations to step up to make Cambridge North a reality,” said William H. Dunn Sr., chairman emeritus of J.E. Dunn Construction.

The hospital receives no state or local tax appropriations since it became an independent state authority in 1998.

To see a KU Hospital video about this donation, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0iCFCoT2JQ.

– Information from KU Hospital