Two of Johnson County’s favorite eateries have announced they are closing their doors leaving many area residents reeling. Folks will no longer have access to Biz Burgers or specialty coffee as both Bizzies, 365 South Shady Street, and The Coffeehouse, 122 Murphy Street, have recently announced business closings.

Bizzies was the first closing casualty, abruptly publishing a note on the windows of the business on January 22nd announcing that the restaurant would be closing forever and that equipment would be sold at public auction. First introduced in 1992, Glenn and Kevin Parsons’ stab at the fast food industry quickly caught on in Johnson County. Offering freshly made hamburgers, chicken strips, seasoned fries, and a super-sized sweet tea, Bizzies quickly became the “go-to” spot for many looking for an alternative to franchise fast food restaurants. From its brightly decorated bee-adorned exterior to its top selling menu items, many passing through the county were also drawn to the Parsons’ establishment.

“When I purchased all of the equipment from the old Boone Trail Dairy Bar a couple of years ago, my father and I began talking of closing Bizzies,” explained Parsons. “We discussed future plans of continuing the tradition of those one-of-a-kind burgers and chicken the Ashleys had for over 50 years.” Keeping with the familiar Boone Trail Dairy Bar, or “J.D.’s”, theme, Parsons enlisted the assistance of Shirley Shelton, a 40-year employee of the landmark dairy bar to help incorporate some of the food items into the Quickshop Grill’s menu.  More...