Downtown restaurant fires up the summertime bar and grill in former KC Daiquiri Shop
June 25, 2025 | Joyce Smith
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.
View this post on Instagram
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.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
On the menu: The Sundry tastes expansion with move to Plexpod
Moving The Sundry this month to Plexpod reflects the evolution and future of where people live and work, Ryan Wing said. And, of course, how they eat. A leader in Kansas City’s sustainable food movement, The Sundry plans to relocate its store from the Crossroads to a 3,300-square-foot space at Plexpod Westport Commons. It’s the…
Leaders say Kansas City is prime for Amazon HQ2
In the wake of news Amazon is planning a second, U.S. headquarters, a group of Kansas City organizations is tossing Kansas City’s proverbial hat in the e-commerce giant’s shopping cart. Amazon announced Thursday it plans to invest more than $5 billion in a new headquarters that could create as many as 50,000 jobs in which…
Techstars Spotlight: Planetarians’ hunger for tasty snacks blooms with Sunflower State secret ingredient
It’s a simple solution: Eat your fruits and vegetables. Treating diseases caused by poor diet costs the United States about $1.4 trillion each year, Aleh Manchuliantsau said. “Fiber and plant protein have been shown to prevent diabetes, heart disease and obesity,” said Manchuliantsau, co-founder and CEO of Planetarians. “But despite the effort to get kids…
Spanish-language business law class targets KC resource gap
¡Llamando a todos los emprendedores! Language isn’t a barrier to entrepreneurial spirit, Adrienne Haynes said, and it shouldn’t prevent Kansas Citians from finding business success just because they don’t understand the nuances of startup lingo or legal processes. “Whether you’re a black- or brown-owned company, whether you’re woman-owned, whether Spanish is your primary language, or…