Gus’s fried chicken plans 3 more Kansas City area spots, starting with Johnson County

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken came to the market more than five years ago with a Kansas City, Kansas, restaurant and said it could open one more in the metro.

Now the Memphis-based chain plans three, including one under construction in south Johnson County.

Gus’s is scheduled to open in mid-July at 7935 W. 151st. St., Overland Park. It will have 28 employees.

“We’re really excited. Kansas City has really taken to our chicken,” said Steve Zanone, area franchisee with his wife, Julie.

Zanone said his customers have been supportive with to-go orders through the pandemic, and he has a talented team in place for expansion.

“Restaurants have been through the wringer and they aren’t out of it,” he said. “But we are ready to grow.”

The Lee’s Summit location is scheduled to open in early 2022 and a Northland location in late 2022.

The first Gus’s opened in 1984 in Memphis, Tennessee, and it now has more than 30 locations.

It serves chicken with “just enough cayenne pepper to let you know it’s there,” according to one reviewer. Other menu items include baked beans, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, coleslaw, seasoned fries, sweet tea and sweet potato pie.

It opened at 2816 W. 47th Ave., in Kansas City, Kansas, in February 2016, near popular Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, which helped raise its local profile.

CareSpot formerly operated in the Overland Park space.

This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.