Is restaurant featured in KC Chiefs Hallmark movie real? Yes, but it’s not a BBQ joint

Hallmark fans might recognize the checker-floored restaurant on the historic Independence Square.

“Norma & Nic’s” barbecue restaurant was the restaurant’s alias in the network’s new Kansas City-based movie, “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.”

In reality, the space at 208 W. Maple Ave. is home to Square Pizza, a 15-year-old pizzeria that serves rectangular pies with “more pizza corner to corner,” as its tagline goes.

This summer, Hallmark filmed several key scenes inside the restaurant, as well as other spots around the Square. Cindy McClain and her husband, Ken McClain, own 15 businesses in the area, including Square Pizza.

In the film — which debuted Saturday — leading lady Alana Higman’s grandparents Norma and Nic own the barbecue restaurant. Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, plays a manager, sporting a signed 87 jersey and taking orders from behind the counter.

Alana is played by Hunter King, Norma is Christine Ebersole and Nic is Richard Riehle.

In the real-life Square Pizza, pictures of Donna, the Hallmark stars and other moments on set now hang on the wall. The “brag board,” as Cindy calls it.

In the movie, Alana and her love interest, Derrick (Tyler Hynes), meet inside the barbecue restaurant. The soon-to-be couple have an awkward meeting and shake hands despite Derrick’s sauce-covered fingers — cue laughter from the audience.

The film has helped the pizza shop’s exposure. Cindy said. She’s seen an uptick in business the past few days. Several Hallmark fans who traveled out-of-state for the Hallmark Christmas Experience at Crown Center have made a point to stop by the square and see the setup.

“They’re coming from all over,” she said. “I think yesterday we had somebody from Oregon, and somebody from Montana the other day, and it’s really cool.”

Another of the McClains’ businesses, gift shop Wild About Harry, played a major role in the film. The network transformed the shop into a Chiefs-themed gift shop called KC Corner, which the Higmans own in the movie.

Wild About Harry’s manager, Dustin Brooks, said he got to be an extra in one of the scenes. While staff wasn’t allowed to talk about the movie, word spread quickly. Each day, hundreds of bystanders stood outside and watched the hubbub with curiosity.

Since the film’s release, he’s met a few Hallmark fans, including a mother and daughter who flew in from Alabama for the Christmas Experience.

“Hallmark fans are hardcore,” Brooks said.

Wild About Harry and Square Pizza had to be shut for a few weeks during filming. Cindy mostly tried to stay out of the way, but she helped house a few actors and store props in some of her empty buildings.

The network compensated her for the time, Cindy said, but she believes the movie’s payoff will be long-lasting.

“A risk we were willing to take, hoping that the square would get noticed and get the attention she deserves,” she said.

It’s not the first time the square has been used as a filming site, either. Earlier this year, the Chiefs put out a Hallmark parody trailer called “Falling for Football” to build excitement for the playoffs, featuring several shots around the square.

Hallmark executives saw the short clip and liked the backdrop, so they called Cindy.

“The scout … called me said, ‘This is happening, and it’s happening very fast.’” Cindy said. “They just kinda picked the buildings, and there we went.”

Each project helps to rebuild Independence’s reputation. Cindy believes the city has an undeserved stigma, and she’d like to see that change.

It’s part of the reason she and Ken opened their first business in the square 27 years ago and have dedicated the last several years to revitalizing it.

The McClains attended the movie’s premiere Saturday. Cindy said her eyes welled up with tears when she saw the square on the big screen.

“It’s personal now, and to see the square, and they mentioned Independence. … That just made me so happy, because we are an actual downtown,” she said. “It’s created this fun magic that the nation has looked at, which is just so cool for Kansas City.”

This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 3:25 PM.

Jenna Thompson

The Kansas City Star

Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.