When a long-standing Italian restaurant closed last year in Johnson County, three best friends got an opportunity for which they’d been waiting a long time.
Kue-Jin Hwang, Sung Jo and Kyoungmin Kim have been talking about opening a restaurant together for roughly a decade. An open space in Overland Park has given them the opportunity to finally put that idea to fruition.
Their restaurant, 1981 K-Chicken, will open its doors this spring in Overland Park.
1981 K-Chicken will operate at 10412 Mastin St.
- The restaurant is moving into a space at the Wycliff West shopping center in Overland Park.
- It will operate in the space formerly occupied by Steve’s Villa Capri, an Italian restaurant that closed last year after nearly six decades in business.
- The trio has not yet nailed down regular hours, but they say that 1981 K-Chicken will likely operate from 11 a.m. until midnight on weekdays, with even later hours on weekends.
1981 K-Chicken will serve Korean chicken
- While the menu is still being finalized, the restaurant will center around Korean cuisine — especially Korean-style fried chicken.
- 1981 K-Chicken will also serve Korean beers as well as local beers, and the owners hope to attain a liquor license and serve soju, a rice-based spirit that is Korea’s answer to sake.
- Hwang said the goal is to make 1981 K-Chicken a place where people can hang out well into the night, with several TVs around the restaurant so customers can watch games.
- “We’re shooting for sports bar or sports pub,” he said. “People can come enjoy our chicken and enjoy our beer, and just enjoy the sports and the atmosphere.”
The owners have been friends for multiple decades
- All three of the owners were born in 1981 (which is where the restaurant’s name comes from), and their friendship goes back 20 years.
- Hwang said he’s looking forward to adding another Korean-style restaurant option to the Johnson County market — almost as much as he’s looking forward to finally working with his best friends.
- “Most people are like, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t do business with your best friends,’” he said. “I want to be able to prove those people wrong. That’s what I’m most looking forward to.”
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