Megan Garrelts reignites her creative fire with Cornflower Baked Goods
Cornflower Baked Goods // Photo by Trondheim Studios
When discussing the chefs and restaurants that helped establish the modern Kansas City dining scene, it would be tough not to mention Megan Garrelts.
As the co-owner and pastry chef—alongside her chef-husband, Colby—of the now-closed Bluestem restaurant and still-operating Rye restaurants, the Garrelts played a large hand in proving that Kansas City was more than just a barbecue town. The duo’s footprint is about to expand even more, as they are set to open a new grab-and-go bakery, Cornflower Baked Goods, in the space next to their Rye Leawood location.
Cornflower Baked Goods has evolved over several months from the Garrelts’ original plan. “At first, we were just looking to increase the space we had for baking and wanted a connected kitchen that could be dedicated to baking and pastries,” Megan says. “But when this storefront opened up directly next to us, we started talking about how we could make it really special. That’s when we started working out the details that would become Cornflower.”
Cornflower Baked Goods // Photo by Trondheim Studios
The bulk of the new location will still be that original plan: a dedicated baking space for both Rye locations and for the Cornflower Baked Goods storefront. Megan and Keara Masson, the executive pastry chef for Rye, are excited to flex their skills and bring some new recipes to the mixing bowl.
There will be some carryover from Rye—Megan says she can’t imagine not selling pies and cinnamon rolls—but a lot of what Cornflower offers will be exclusive to the bakery. It will still mostly fall under her Americana style, but she and Masson are experimenting with a lot of new ideas.
Cornflower Baked Goods // Photo by Bonjwing Lee
“Every new recipe begins with satisfying a craving,” she says. “We’ve been able to travel a lot and try different products that feature different techniques, and we love trying to recreate and reimagine the things that have stuck with us the most.”
Some of the items Megan is most excited for include lemon thyme teacakes, pie spice blueberry muffins, and a rotating menu of grab-and-go sandwiches on focaccia. She also lists off banana bread, a wide variety of cookies, and savory items like scones and breakfast buns that feature ingredients like cheeses and lardons made from a new milk bread recipe she’s been developing.
“Our baked goods have generally skewed more toward sweets,” she says. “The majority of Cornflower’s offerings will still be sweet, but we’ll have more than enough savory options to satisfy anyone’s taste.”
The sandwiches sound like some of the most interesting items Cornflower Baked Goods will have on offer. Some, like a chicken and pesto concoction that is beloved by Megan’s daughter, will be frequent fliers on the menu. However, Megan expects the majority of the sandwich menu to shift daily based on what meat, produce, and other items stand out from their suppliers.
Megan Garrelts // Photo by Bonjwing Lee
Though Cornflower will have a handful of seats (about twelve inside and about eight outside), Garrelts sees much of the traffic coming through as grab-and-go. As such, they’ve focused on creating a memorable, enjoyable, and seamless experience when customers step inside.
“Rye has a very strong identity—kind of a chicken and whiskey vibe,” Garrelts says. “With Cornflower, we wanted to create a space that still had the same values and commitment to quality, but with space to create a unique identity and live on its own.”
Cornflower Baked Goods found that identity through the recipes of Garrelts and Masson, along with the creativity of artists like Kelly Porter and Jennifer Elbow.
Porter helped to create the interior space and some of the unique wallpaper and art inside. Elbow, best known for creating the artistic designs at Christopher Elbow chocolates, worked with Garrelts to help create Cornflower’s branding. There will also be a small retail space inside the bakery, with cookbooks, baking supplies, wine, and more on offer.
Cornflower Baked Goods // Photo by Trondheim Studios
Naturally, a breakfast/lunch bakery without a coffee program is barely a bakery at all. Cornflower’s coffee is the last ace up Garrelts’ sleeve, as she enlisted the services of Onyx Coffee Lab to train their team and provide their coffee products.
Based out of Bentonville, Arkansas, Onyx is a much-beloved brand that has won a number of accolades for its quality and approach to coffee. The Garrelts frequently travel to and from Bentonville, and Megan is thrilled to help showcase Onyx Coffee at Cornflower.
Ultimately, Cornflower brings together a number of ideas that seem like they’ll be a great fit for Mission Farms. “We want to be a go-to, neighborhood spot where people feel comfortable stopping in to see what’s on our menu for the day,” Megan says. “We want to develop relationships with the community, be agile, and evolve how our space serves those needs. Cornflower Baked Goods gives us a lot of opportunities to explore that are a lot more difficult to do in a traditional restaurant like Rye.”
Considering the quality that the Garrelts and their teams have consistently put forward, we certainly aren’t betting against Cornflower Baked Goods. They plan on opening in early June—stay tuned to their social media for an exact date.
Cornflower Baked Goods is located at 10555 Mission Road, Leawood, KS 66206. It is scheduled to open in early June, and will be open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
