By Joyce Smith
Gary Hill became a partner in Charlie D’s Seafood & Chicken in 2010, and sole owner three years later. Then he started expanding the brand.
He opened at 600 E. 99th St. in 2014. In 2021, he added locations at 5111 Ararat Drive in Kansas City, and Charlie D’s Express at 12323 E. U.S. 40 highway in Independence.
He’s working on a downtown Kansas City space, at 1124 Oak St., just west of City Hall, which will have an expanded menu.
“I wanted to rush it for the World Cup and then the contractor couldn’t get it done,” he said. “So then I thought I would take my time and do it right.”
When Fish City closed this summer at 11513 Blue Ridge Blvd., Hill reached out to the owner before it hit the market. It had long operated in the spot, and was a Little Caesars Pizza in the 1980s, according to newspaper advertisements from the period.
Hill will remodel the split building for a Charlie D’s Fish City in one, and wings or barbecue in the other.
Named Charlie D’s Fish City will have the Fish City menu as well as some Charlie D’s favorites.
“It was already doing fish. It’s a standalone building that I own. It’s right off [71 Hwy]. And that area is starving for good food,” he said.
Hill hopes to open the south Kansas City and downtown locations in November.
