Before he opened PaPPo’s Pizzeria , Chris “Pappo” Galloway had spent decades watching the pizza business get faster, cheaper, and in his words, “less real.” He was a franchisee for one of the biggest names in the industry — he prefers not to say which — and found himself increasingly uneasy with what was passing for food.

“I’ve seen concepts and brands that literally don’t even cook their food,” Galloway said. “You just open a bag or a can and warm it up.”

That frustration turned into a pivot. In 2012, Galloway opened the first PaPPo’s in downtown Springfield, Missouri, drawing from his Italian mother’s cooking and a commitment to scratch-made everything.

This fall, PaPPo’s will debut its first Kansas location, in the former Overland Park d’Bronx space at 7070 W. 105th St., which clo

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