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
Newest Techstars KC class tackling payday loans, food safety, bots for business
Techstars Kansas City has revealed its 2018 cohort of startups. The 10 companies will make a big impact not only on Kansas City but the global economy, said Lesa Mitchell, managing director of Techstars KC. “Although our companies come from many industries, they share in common that they are all solving problems to make the…
YEP KC teen serves hope through enterprising volleyball benefit for men’s shelter
When 17-year-old Catherine Franano learned the mattresses at Kansas City Rescue Mission were old and too worn for comfortable use, the Pembroke High School senior leapt into action, she said. “Some of these people … like they’ve just had so many awful things happen to them, but not having anywhere to sleep?” Catherine said. “How…
(Video) ESHIP Summit attendees ask: Can entrepreneurial support efforts actually be sustainable?
When more than 600 attendees gathered this week in Kansas City for the second ESHIP Summit, they each came with their own ecosystems, businesses, local governments and support networks in mind. They also brought questions. “What are they doing in their cities? What’s worked and what hasn’t worked? What can we adopt back at home…
Four key moments led to SoftVu’s exit (three missteps kept it from happening sooner)
Deals like the acquisition of KC-based SoftVu by an Alabama private equity firm don’t happen overnight. And founder Tim Donnelly gives near-equal weight to the trials and triumphs that led the marketing platform to its big exit. “We’ve done as much as we possibly can based on the mistakes we’ve made, the lessons that have…