Openings & Closings

Fire closed Johnson County burger and taco restaurant last year. It’s coming back

Unforked is opening back up after a fire at its Johnson County location left it temporarily closed.
Unforked is opening back up after a fire at its Johnson County location left it temporarily closed. The Kansas City Star

The Overland Park Sheridan’s Unforked has remained closed since it suffered heavy damage in a fire last December. Now the company plans to reopen the restaurant late this year.

“We have people every day coming to the restaurant, wondering when we’re gonna open,” founder Jim Sheridan told The Star.

The fast-casual restaurant opened its original location at 7337 W. 119th St. in 2011, and announced its reopening on Facebook this week.

“Such good news!” one user commented. “Just know we are all waiting and excited!”

“Can’t happen fast enough! Miss you all!” said another.

In December, an early morning blaze left “significant damage” to the kitchen and front counter area, according to a statement from the Overland Park Fire Department.

An early morning fire damaged the Sheridan’s Unforked restaurant in Overland Park, according to a fire department spokesman.
An early morning fire damaged the Sheridan’s Unforked restaurant in Overland Park, according to a fire department spokesman. Overland Park Fire Department

Sheridan said an electrical fire near a refrigerated food preparation table filled the restaurant with heavy smoke.

“Everything had to be taken out,” he said.

The restaurant has sat dormant on the corner of West 119th Street and Blue Valley Parkway since. Its windows are now plastered in signs that read, “Reopening late 2023.”

The restaurant — selling burgers and tacos and boasting of all-natural, locally sourced ingredients — has two other locations, in the lower level of Crown Center and in Westwood at 4719 Rainbow Blvd.

In addition to its “concretes” and other frozen custard desserts, the eatery is known for its “barking pig” taco (crispy carnitas tossed in shagbark bacon glaze with scallions and queso fresco) and “the G.O.A.T.” taco (chihuahua cheese, grilled chicken, arugula, white barbecue sauce and pickled onions).

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.
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