‘Amazing soul’: Founder of Kansas City’s popular Red Door restaurants dies at 56

Red Door Woodfired Grill has confirmed “with a heavy heart” that its founder, Gary Zancanelli Jr., has died.

Known as Zanc, he was a “beloved father, husband, son, brother, friend, mentor & leader,” they said.

“To know Zanc was to love Zanc and if you were lucky enough to come across this amazing soul you know that every interaction with him was one word. … impactful.”

Zancanelli, 56, died Sunday morning in Arizona. The cause of his death was not released.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Church of the Nativity in Leawood. The original Leawood restaurant will be closed that day.

The company also has locations in Brookside, Lenexa, the Liberty area and Overland Park. A Lee’s Summit location is scheduled to open in mid-April.

Zancanelli had led Zancanelli Management Corp., which owned and operated chain restaurant locations, including KFC and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. He sold those restaurants to start his own brand.

In mid-2013, he opened the first Red Door Woodfired Grill in Leawood’s Camelot Court, calling it an “upscale neighborhood joint,” and planned multiple locations.

This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 1:47 PM.