In September, star Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce opened an upscale steakhouse in the greater downtown area, creating a buzz among fans and foodies alike.
While 1587 Prime — inside the Loews Hotel at 1500 Baltimore Ave. — has been the subject of much excitement and discussion since its debut, the swanky spot isn’t the first restaurant opened by Chiefs players.
Throughout the years, several players have ventured into the restaurant world during or after their time on the field.
Here’s a look at other Chiefs-owned eateries throughout the years.
Bobby Bell’s Barbecue by Bobby Bell
In 1980, three years before former Chiefs linebacker Bobby Bell became the first Chiefs player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he opened a barbecue restaurant in Lawrence.
At the time, No. 78 was beloved as one of the best linebackers in the game.
But his barbecue spot hoped to give him a different kind of acclaim.
The next couple of years brought two more locations: 7013 N. Oak Trafficway in Gladstone (now home to Margarita’s) and 6800 W. 95th St in Overland Park. Bobby Bell’s Barbecue offered smoked entrees like the Bobby Bell Special (chopped meat on a bun), the huddle plate (sausage, ribs and burnt ends), and a linebacker-sized iced tea (32 ounces).
“Tackling runners or selling barbecue, Bell keeps running,” reads a Star headline from 1982.
Bell’s barbecue sauce was in such high demand that it was offered bottled in grocery stores by 1985. Photos of the player sacking opposing quarterbacks and shaking President John F. Kennedy’s hand covered his restaurants.
Then-vice president George H.W. Bush told a Star political writer in 1985 that, after tasting Bell’s, it was up to his standard — and he was a passionate fan of Texas ‘cue.
“I’d like the chance to have some more of it,” he said of Bell’s cuisine. “I am a barbecue aficionado.”
Sometime in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, Bell closed his Gladstone restaurant and opened a Bobby Bell’s at 1215 Wyandotte St in the Aladdin Hotel. Ironically, the downtown spot is just a few blocks away from where 1587 stands today.
It’s unclear from The Star’s archives exactly when the chain closed its last location.
Bell played for the Chiefs from 1963 to 1974.
Cafe LeBlanc, aka Harvey’s Place, by Harvey Williams
In 1992, a Cajun restaurant called Cafe LeBlanc opened at College Boulevard and Pflumm Road in Lenexa.
Harvey Williams, a running back for the Chiefs at the time, opened the spot with a former college roommate and friend, Troy LeBlanc. The two reportedly had a falling out after the restaurant opened that resulted in a lawsuit, according to a Star article in 1992.
After the partnership ended, Williams brought on his brother as a partner and changed the restaurant’s name to Harvey’s Place.
Williams’ time playing for Kansas City lasted from 1991 to 1993. Star archives do not indicate when Harvey’s Place closed, but Williams went on to play for the Raiders from 1994 to 1998.
O’Dowd’s by Tim Grunhard
O’Dowd’s still stands tall at 4742 Pennsylvania Ave. on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza, offering potato skins and rooftop views.
Though it’s now called O’Dowd’s Gastrobar and is owned by local restaurant company KC Hopps, the bar began as O’Dowd’s Little Dublin in 1996 — opened by then-Chiefs center Tim Grunhard.
Grunhard, an Irish Catholic football star from Notre Dame whose father was a Chicago policeman, opened the lively bar at age 28. In addition to his foodie expertise, he was known for hosting a segment on KCFX (101.1 FM). There, he shared his colorful opinions about life .
“I ain’t trying to fool nobody,” he told The Star’s former sports columnist Jason Whitlock at the time of the restaurant’s opening. “I am what I am. I’m a blue-collar guy who likes blue-collar people. And people in Kansas City seem to appreciate that.”
Grunhard was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Honor in 2021.
O’Dowd’s remains a fixture on the Plaza, serving pub nachos, Irish poutine, wings, hoagies, sliders and more.
Copeland’s by Neil Smith
It seems as though 1996 was a big year for Chiefs-owned restaurants.
Like Grunhard, Neil Smith — then-defensive end for the Chiefs — headed up a restaurant in the metro. His, however, lived farther south.
Smith, a New Orleans native, opened a franchise of Cajun restaurant Copeland’s of New Orleans at 11920 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park. Today, the space where the building once stood is the parking lot of Whole Foods.
At the time of its opening, Copeland’s was a swinging spot. A 1996 review in The Star published reported a two-hour wait for a table. The restaurant also reportedly had a French Quarter-style interior with marble and wood accents. Its bar had an art deco-style bar with chrome and neon decor.
On its menu: eggplant pirogue, ricochet catfish, shrimp and redfish creole, crawfish etouffe, steak, bananas foster and more.
But ongoing financial struggles forced the restaurant to close in 2006, according to The Star’s records. It reopened as Amor de Brazil, a steakhouse, and Smith stayed on as a partner of the new concept. The steakhouse closed in 2009.
Smith, a former Husker football star, played for the Chiefs 1988 to 1996, then played for the Denver Broncos from 1997 to 1998. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Honor in 2006.
Copeland’s still has 10 locations in Louisiana, Georgia and Florida. It was founded by Al Copeland, who also headed up Popeye’s Chicken.
Len Dawson’s Restaurant & Sports Bar*
*Was not owned by Len Dawson.
The last installation in this restaurant list is more of an honorable mention, because Len Dawson did not own the 10975 Metcalf Ave. bar in Overland Park.
It was, however, a beloved spot in the metro — a reflection of the community’s feelings toward Dawson.
The beloved quarterback played for the Chiefs from 1963 to 1975 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Two years later, former Kansas State University quarterback Lynn Dickey partnered with Intermark Hospitality Kansas Inc. to bring the concept to life.
While not owned by Dawson, The Star reported in 1989 that the hospitality group approached Dawson, who “consented to lend his name” to the concept.
The 4,000-square-foot space seated about 150 people. Sports memorabilia covered the restaurant’s walls.
Intermark Hospitality Kansas Inc. also owned Studebakers All American Diner & Bar in a space adjoining the restaurant, and it later sold its Overland Park operations to Sports Restaurant Inc.
Sports filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and changed the name of the business to Rickie’s Sports Bar & Grill, with a representative with the company saying at the time that it was too financially costly to continue to use Dawson’s name.
Rickie’s became home to Dick Clark’s American Bandstand a year later. Today, the former restaurant site is home to iFly Indoor Skydiving.
Did we miss any? Email our reporter at jthompson@kcstar.com.