Kansas City area breakfast/lunch chain taking over Don Chilito’s Johnson County spot

Don Chilito’s Mexican Restaurant is closing after more than 50 years in Mission. But now a locally owned breakfast and lunch chain plans to open in the spot at 7017 Johnson Drive.

Prairie Village-based The Big Biscuit bought the 6,000-square-foot building and will begin renovations in January for an early summer opening.

It was founded in 2000, and the Mission restaurant will be the company’s 23rd location. It is in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

“We’ve been looking in Mission for a long time because of all the growth,” said Chad Offerdahl, president. “We have a loyal following in the Kansas City city area already. We are looking forward to bringing our menu and our big smiles to the Mission area.”

His wife’s relatives have been Don Chilito’s customers for three generations, and after they started dating 12 years ago she would take him there for date night.

“So it had a lot of meaning to us personally,” Offerdahl said.

The Big Biscuit offers such items as Benedicts, biscuits and gravy, pancake and waffle platters, New Orleans oatmeal (with banana, pecans, caramelized brown sugar and cinnamon), breaded tenderloin sandwiches, chicken strips, entree salads, burgers and more, including its cinnamon roll pancakes. Its winter special is a gingerbread pancake.

Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.