Local
story by Debra DeCoster photos by Kevin Anderson
business
Expanding a KC Tradition McLain’s Market delights family and friends as a new gathering place.
E
ach morning the scent of fresh cinnamon rolls, Danishes, warm breads, and freshly roasted coffee permeates the air around McLain’s Market in Shawnee. They opened last June during the pandemic. “COVID has been absolutely brutal to the restaurant industry. We felt lucky that our new location had a drive-through. We opened it from day one,” says Mollie Lothman, co-owner of McLain’s Market. The owners—Greg and Kathy Hirleman, their son Jeff Hirleman and daughter Mollie Lothman—decided to proceed amid the pandemic with the opening of their latest McLain’s Market in the former OK Garage.
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Residents familiar with the former garage will recognize the metal walls that have been refurbished. When Jeff Hirleman began the remodel of the building, he worked to keep some of the original design in place. “We kept the original metal walls that were in the garage. They were bright green, blues, and one yellow wall all constructed from metal. We cleaned them up and have made plans for an artist to come and do a magnet mural for us,” Mollie says. Opening a new business during a pandemic left the family feeling unsure how business would be. “Opening three months into COVID, we had pretty low expectations on sales. We were pleasantly surprised by our sales as
