Hamburger Mary’s keeps Kansas City fabulous

by Morgan Allen
Journalism Intern

Since opening in 2009, Hamburger Mary’s Kansas City has been keeping Kansas City fabulous. Branded as an “open-air bar and grille for open-minded people,” the restaurant has brought together drag queens, burgers, and charity to create a fun, entertaining, and tasty environment.

“We worked really hard getting the word out about the fact that we were bringing a Mary's to our city,” owner Jeff Edmondson said. “When we opened the response was amazing. It was an immediate hit … it's been great steady business from the very beginning.”

Edmondson said he wanted to bring Hamburger Mary’s to Kansas City to “shake things up.”

“We only had a couple of gay bars here, and there wasn't much variety … our hope was to bring variety to the city and give people more options,” he said.

“After we opened we saw that the other bars started changing things up and really working harder to give their customers better service, entertainment and the variety that was needed … it can’t be denied that the night life at the gay bars in Kansas City has improved since we first opened.”

Other LGBT spaces had dancing and a night scene, but Hamburger Mary’s seems to bring in not only LGBT individuals, but also their families and friends. Though some events can get a little saucy for kids, Hamburger Mary’s operates as a grille during the day, so families can enjoy the environment without the risqué factor.

After moving to the Uptown Theater district in 2014, the area became a primarily LGBT run space. Right down the road is the gay nightclub Missie B’s, and not far away is Bistro 303, Sidekicks, Buddies, and Sidestreet. The clubs often come together to fundraise as a group, most recently and notably after the shooting in Orlando.

Every Sunday the drag queens host the Drag Brunch, complete with mimosas and a show.

“It's just amazing. People line up every week just to get in. It's such a fun show,” Edmonson said. “It's an experience that no one else can offer in Kansas City. So it's rewarding to have created such a unique event that people line up to get in the door, come rain or shine.”

The most popular event is HamBINGO, a weekly bingo every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday evening as well as Saturday afternoons. The event is hosted by Hamburger Mary’s drag queens, and can get pretty risqué, but it seems to be all in good fun and body positivity. Every week a new charity is featured, ranging from AIDS organizations to women biking leagues to dog shelters. Over the years, the restaurant says it has raised over four million dollars for local Kansas City charities. They also participate in the yearly AIDS Walk and in Dining Out for Life.

“Giving back to our community is just part of our DNA,” Edmondson said.

Hamburger Mary’s is an experience no matter what time a guest visits. Patrons can always expect tasty food and a wink from a drag queen.

Copyright 2016 The Gayly – November 21, 2016 @ 10:45 a.m.