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Shelia's Grinder Shop in Westport will close for good Saturday

Posted at 10:37 PM, Nov 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-30 00:04:43-05

KANSAS CITY, MO — A Westport staple is closing after more than five decades.

Shelia's Grinder Shop, previously known as Mario's, will close its doors Saturday for the final time.

The owner, Shelia Shields, said a dispute with the landlord is to blame, but she can no longer continue to operate at the location at 204 Westport Rd.

The business opened in 1968 and is known for its grinders and pasta salad.

Shields started working at the shop in 1984.

"I came by and talked to a lady named Paula and she hired me," Shields said. "That's when it all started."

When the owners wanted to close the shop in 2017, Shields stepped in, bought the business and renamed it after her.

"I thought, what am I going to do? I've been here at that time for 33 years," Shields said.

She notified her customers Friday about the impending closure.

"My heart kind of ached a little bit," long-time customer John Mark Aladeen said. "It's been very nostalgic for me and full of love, and those are the memories I have, that come to mind every time I come here."

As Shields starts a new and unknown chapter in her life, she said she'll miss her customers and hopes to serve them again one day.

"I met so many wonderful people," Shields said. "It's really going to be a heartbreak tomorrow to have to say good bye to all that."

The shop will open at 11a.m. on Saturday and close when they run out of food, Shields said.