It’s a few days into AJ’s Bar & Grill’s soft launch in downtown Kansas City.
A private VIP room at AJ’s Bar & Grill on Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City; photo by Joyce Smith
Managing partner Matthew Hill stands by the kitchen window, fielding lunch orders for both to-go, dine-in and delivery (he was running some orders to nearby offices in sweltering 90-degree-plus temperatures).
Inside the new Grand Boulevard restaurant: it’s cool and low-lit, with customers gathered at the bar and couples cozying up at tables.
The menu at 1116 Grand Blvd. — the former KC Daiquiri Shop — includes such loaded baked potato options as The Brisket with hot or cold cheese, sauteed onions and a choice of sauce; the chicken with butter, cheese, pico de gallo, sauteed onions, sour cream, green onions and parsley; and the vegetarian with butter, broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, cheese and sour cream.
Early this week, many AJ’s Bar & Grill customers were opting for the freshly grilled Philly cheesesteaks. The spot also features burgers, wings, wraps, salads, tater tots and fries, and loaded tater tots and fries.
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Hill’s family has been in the restaurant business for years. He worked for his father’s Raytown barbecue restaurant, ran concession stands, and was a store manager for a couple decades. He is now regional vice president at Primerica.
He also aided promotions for the previous tenant, KC Daiquiri Shop, and liked the space’s proximity to the Power & Light District. He spent about three months renovating it. It has two VIP rooms with glass walls looking out to the main dining room, a full bar, and 16 TVs with more coming (he likes the vibe).
A grand opening for AJ’s Bar & Grill is scheduled for Tuesday, July 1 with drink specials and more.
“I want to make my dad proud and I get a chance to inspire people, to show them what we can do,” he said.
The bar and grill is named using the initials from the middle names of two of the three business partners behind the venture: Hill, his fiancée, Larissa Grayson, and Grayson’s cousin, Diana Ogilvie. (The women have full time jobs and help out in the evenings and weekends.)
“We wanted to be a place where people can come in to watch the game, to enjoy good food,” he said. “A friendly place to have a great time.”
Hours are set for 10 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.
KC Daiquiri Shop closed in late 2024 after “six incredible years.”
On a Nov. 25 Facebook post, the owners said: “We have faced a slow economy, challenges with local and state government, and ongoing legal battles with neighboring businesses that have been less than supportive.”
Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follow her on Bluesky, here for X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.
