Harp Barbecue, the acclaimed Kansas City-area smokehouse that closed its Overland Park storefront in late May, is coming back — just for one day. The pitmaster behind the operation, Tyler Harp, has announced a one-day pop-up at Warehouse on Broadway in Westport on September 5, serving ribs, signature sides, burnt ends and more starting at 11 a.m.
The news was reported by the Kansas City Star, which detailed the restaurant's rise from a Saturday pop-up to a shuttered brick-and-mortar and now back to a limited-run event. Harp Barbecue closed its restaurant at 12094 W. 135th St. in Overland Park in late May, citing staffing shortages and fewer customers, according to Tyler Harp in a video shared by business advocate Davis Roethler. Rising beef prices also contributed to the closure, per the same report.
The pop-up will unfold in two acts. Harp Barbecue will serve food in the venue's Sound Bite Social area starting at 11 a.m., and the day continues at 2 p.m. with a concert from Elwood and the Blues Masters in the main hall, according to a listing on Discotech. Fans reportedly don't need a concert ticket to buy barbecue at the event, according to an Instagram post promoting the showcase. Warehouse on Broadway is a 650-capacity venue at 3951 Broadway Blvd. in Kansas City's Westport neighborhood, a hub for the city's nightlife and entertainment scene, according to Do816.
From Brewery Pop-Up to Cult Following
Harp Barbecue's story began with a 2019 pop-up before Tyler Harp opened a permanent restaurant in Raytown in 2022, according to the Star's reporting and background from Kansas City Magazine. The restaurant built a reputation in the region and earned acclaim for its barbecue.
That approach earned Harp Barbecue recognition from Conde Nast Traveler and acclaim from Kansas City Magazine as a top barbecue restaurant in the region. Local food writer Liz Cook said in 2025 that if Kansas City barbecue has a new school, the dean might be Tyler Harp — a line that captured how far the pitmaster's reputation had traveled beyond his original pop-up roots.
A Move Across State Lines, Then a Retreat
Harp Barbecue crossed state lines in late 2024, relocating from Raytown, Missouri, to a space at 12094 W. 135th St. in Overland Park, Kansas, according to the Johnson County Post. At the time, Tyler Harp said a major portion of his core customer base was already commuting from Johnson County, making the move a logical business decision rather than a retreat.
Less than two years later, the restaurant closed for good. Staffing shortages and fewer customers led Harp to close his restaurant, and rising beef prices squeezed his margins further. Those pressures were not unique to Harp Barbecue: the closure was accompanied by other local barbecue shutdowns, including six-year-old Smoke Town BBQ on Shawnee Mission Parkway, which also permanently closed over the summer; its owners cited personal circumstances and a desire to prioritize family time, as Hoodline reported in its coverage of a new Overland Park eatery that took over the barbecue scene's vacated ground.
Why Beef Got So Expensive
For a restaurant built around high-grade brisket and whole hog pork, cost pressure can cut directly into the margins that keep a small operation afloat. According to the USDA Economic Research Service's June 2024 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, the outlook for 2025 fed steer prices was raised to $188.50 per cwt, illustrating the broader cattle-cost pressure facing beef businesses. According to the USDA Economic Research Service's September 2024 outlook, boxed beef prices had declined seasonally after peaking in the first week of July 2024, losing more than $12 while remaining just above year-earlier levels.
A GoFundMe campaign titled “Support Harp BBQ's Next Chapter,” created by Roethler, was set up to support Harp's next steps. The campaign has raised more than $4,500. Tyler Harp has said barbecue would be part of his life in one way or another, though his future plans remain unclear.
For now, Harp Barbecue is scheduled to return on September 5. Throughout its run, the restaurant has been part of Kansas City's broader barbecue culture — one more thread tying Harp's cooking, even in its current pop-up form, back to the city's barbecue scene.
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