Vietnamese restaurant with banh mi and boba opening in former Kansas City liquor store

If you happen to spy some large colorful dragons swaying along Westport Road on Saturday morning, your eyes do not deceive you. The Orlando-based sandwich and coffee chain Paris Banh Mi will be celebrating the opening of its first Kansas City location, at 1106 Westport Road.

“We’ll have a dragon dance, which is a Vietnamese tradition, starting at 10:30 a.m., then a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m.,” said Binh Dang, who is opening the franchise. “Then, we’re officially open for business.”

Paris Banh Mi’s menu features a selection of the restaurant’s namesake Vietnamese sandwiches (a sliced baguette typically filled with meat, pickled vegetables, cilantro, cucumber, jalapenos and a pâté or mayonnaise). It also serves French-style pastries, coffees and boba drinks.

The chain was founded in Florida in 2019 by Hien Tran and Doan Nguyen; the former grew up in Paris and the latter owned a chain of bakeries in Saigon, according to the restaurant’s website.

Hours are Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.