This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

a family-owned soul-food cafeteria/buffet on Kansas City’s East Side (Eastwood Trafficway and the Gates Plaza near 18th & Vine), founded by Vera (and Lavell) Willis in 1996 and now run by the second/third generation of the Willis–Wilmore family; Tier 1, a ~30-year Black-owned, family-operated soul-food institution rooted in the historic East Side.

Description

Peachtree (stylized PeachTree Cafeteria, and historically the Peachtree Buffet) is a family-owned soul-food restaurant on Kansas City’s East Side, serving traditional Southern and soul-food fare in cafeteria and buffet formats.12 The menu runs to fried and baked chicken, salmon croquettes, oxtails, baked neckbones, smothered pork chops, Mississippi catfish, meatloaf, collard greens, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, cornbread muffins, and peach cobbler — much of it cooked from scratch daily.34 Head chef “James” describes the kitchen’s approach as “We make everything from scratch, nothing pre-made.”4

The restaurant draws heavily on family and church communities, with Sunday after-service crowds a defining part of its clientele, and frames its business as a faith-driven ministry as much as a kitchen — both locations display “God did it” messaging and historic photographs of the 18th & Vine district.45 Its food and hospitality earned the original buffet a lasting reputation as a soul-food anchor on the East Side.16

Over nearly three decades, Peachtree has operated several Kansas City-area locations; today it runs two: a buffet-style location at 6800 Eastwood Trafficway and a cafeteria-style location in the Historic Gates BBQ plaza at 2128 E 12th St, near the 18th & Vine district where the restaurant first put down roots.1256

Ownership and history

Peachtree was founded by Vera Willis, who (per the family’s account) was inspired by a dream and surveyed roughly 100 neighborhood residents outside a gas station about what they wanted to see locally; about 95 said a soul-food buffet.15 The original Peachtree Buffet opened July 19, 1996, drawing on Vera Willis’s Louisiana roots and her mother’s cooking.17 Vera ran the business with Lavell Willis; the restaurant is now operated by her grandson Derrick Wilmore Jr., who emphasizes the family’s faith-based approach.25 (An earlier 2008 review identified Vera Willis’s son Roy Wilmore as general manager.6)

The restaurant first anchored the 18th & Vine neighborhood before relocating in pursuit of more traffic; over the years the Willis family operated a downtown Power & Light District location (above Bristol Seafood Grill) and a Lee’s Summit location (in a former Fritz’s Co. Grille space), in addition to the Eastwood Trafficway buffet.6 In July 2014 the family expanded the concept to a sit-down, cafeteria-style restaurant in the Historic Gates BBQ plaza (Gates Plaza, 2128 E 12th St) — distinguished from the Eastwood buffet by table-style cafeteria service in which staff plate the food.13 As of 2026 the family celebrated 30 years in business and has discussed possible expansion to Fresno, CA and Fort Worth, TX.5

LocationEraFormatCurrent status
18th & Vine (original neighborhood anchor)from 1996BuffetClosed / relocated 6
Downtown — Power & Light District (above Bristol Seafood Grill)c. late 2000sSit-downClosed 6
Lee’s Summit (former Fritz’s Co. Grille space)c. late 2000sSit-downClosed 6
6800 Eastwood Trafficway, KCMO 64129currentBuffetOpen 28
Gates Plaza, 2128 E 12th St, KCMO 641272014–presentCafeteriaOpen 139

Sources

Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

  1. PeachTree Cafeteria — official site — https://www.peachtreecafeteria.com/ — asserts: founder “Mrs. Willis, Vera, and Lavell”; original Peachtree Buffet opened July 19, 1996 after ~100-person market survey; second cafeteria-style location opened July 2014 in Historic Gates BBQ plaza; two current locations (6800 Eastwood Trafficway; 2128 E 12th St). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. PeachTree Cafeteria (Eastwood) — Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/peachtree-cafeteria-kansas-city-2 — asserts: address 6800 Eastwood Trafficway, KCMO 64129; soul food; phone (816) 923-0099; listing updated May 2026 (currently operating). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. “Peachtree Cafeteria brings flavor to the Chamber” — Northeast News (Dec 3, 2014) — https://northeastnews.net/pages/peachtree-cafeteria-brings-flavor-to-the-chamber/ — asserts: owned by Vera and Lavell Willis; Gates Plaza, 2128 E 12th St in Northeast KC; cafeteria-style service (staff serve the food) vs. buffet at Eastwood; soul-food menu detail; moved into Gates Plaza in 2014. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. “Peachtree Cafe’Teria brings Southern cooking to Kansas City” — Columbia Missourian — https://www.columbiamissourian.com/special_section/tourism/kansas_city/peachtree-cafeteria-brings-southern-cooking-to-kansas-city/article_d4d66cb2-beb0-11ec-8e66-df0f5e3c5e69.html — asserts: from-scratch cooking; head chef “James”; menu (meatloaf, smothered pork chops, fried catfish, neckbones, collard greens, chicken and waffles); strong Sunday after-church family clientele. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. “Let’s Talk | Peach Tree Cafeteria celebrates 30 years of faith, food, and fellowship” — KSHB 41 — https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/lets-talk-peachtree-cafeteria-celebrates-30-years-of-faith-food-and-fellowship — asserts: established July 19, 1996; Vera Willis founder (dream + ~100-person survey, “95 want a soul food buffet”); now operated by grandson Derrick Wilmore Jr.; faith/food/fellowship pillars; “God did it” + 18th & Vine photos; two locations; exploring Fresno CA and Fort Worth TX; 30-year milestone (2026). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  6. “The Peachtree doesn’t just serve soul food — it conjures spirits, too” — The Pitch — https://www.thepitchkc.com/the-peachtree-doesnt-just-serve-soul-food-it-conjures-spirits-too/ — asserts: Vera Willis primary owner, son Roy Wilmore general manager; original opened ~7 years before 2008; anchored 18th & Vine before relocating downtown; operated a Power & Light District location (above Bristol Seafood Grill) and a Lee’s Summit location (former Fritz’s Co. Grille); soul-food anchor for the neighborhood. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  7. “Historic restaurants in Kansas City aim to keep roots of soul food alive” — KSHB 41 — https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/historic-restaurants-in-kansas-city-aim-to-keep-roots-of-soul-food-alive — asserts: Vera Willis drew on Louisiana roots / her mother’s cooking; business framed as a ministry; soul-food legacy. ↩

  8. PeachTree Cafeteria (Eastwood) hours — Yelp / Grubhub — https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/peachtree-cafeteria-6800-eastwood-trafficway-kansas-city/12022440 — asserts: 6800 Eastwood Trafficway; Wed–Sun 11am–7pm, closed Mon–Tue; active online ordering. ↩

  9. PeachTree Cafe’Teria (12th St) — Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/peachtree-cafeteria-kansas-city — asserts: address 2128 E 12th St, KCMO 64127; soul food; phone (816) 214-5098; listing updated May 2026 (currently operating). ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Soul Food
  • East Side