Longtime KC area burger joint is reopening after 4-year hiatus

Yes, the internet rumors are true — Paul’s Drive-In is reopening in Kansas City, Kansas.

The 1008 Osage Ave. spot’s new owner, Daniel Macias, told The Star he’s bringing the burger joint back after its four-ish year hiatus. (He doesn’t remember when, but it closed either in 2020 or 2021.)

Sometime after Macias took over the space, word started to get out. A couple of neighbors posted their suspicions on social media, sparking a frenzy of excitement.

“Everybody’s craving the food,” Macias said. “Every comment, ‘I can’t wait to taste this’ … ‘Man, what I wouldn’t do for this.’”

The menu will be the same as it was under the previous owners, but he’s calling the restaurant Paul’s Jr. Drive-In. Other than that, he’s just updating the building a little. Cars will still pull into the stalls under the canopy for onion rings, burgers, chicken tenders and other favorites.

Monica Mendez with the Armourdale Renewal Association, a nonprofit tasked with strengthening the community, attested that residents have been eager for the restaurant’s return.

She rattled off a few messages she’s seen online.

“‘Best news all day,’ ‘Don’t mess with my emotions,’” Mendez said.

“It has been overwhelming to read so many comments,” she said. “People are craving the hamburgers and the onion rings and the shakes.”

Macias is hesitant to put a date on when it will open because this is his first restaurant. He’s hoping it takes weeks, not months, to pass inspections and reopen.

“It’s a process, and I’m learning it,” Macias said.

A few of the former Paul’s employees are coming back to help Macias run it, he said.

The other Paul’s location, 10424 Blue Ridge Blvd., never closed, but it’s had separate owners from the KCK spot for several years.

The local joint has been around since the 1960s, but Mark Fulbright, owner of the south Kansas City spot, said the previous owner sold the locations off to separate owners.

The Osage Avenue spot and Blue Ridge Boulevard location aren’t affiliated with each other, though they share many menu similarities.