A couple of pieces of fried chicken make the base of a delicious meal.

Get it and Go at Go Chicken Go

One of my early jobs was as a gas station attendant on 7th Street, just north of Central Avenue, near downtown KCK. Right across the street from the station was a Go Chicken Go restaurant. This wasn’t a very glamorous job, as it was in the period where they were just beginning to move the operations to pay-before-you-pump. I spent the bulk of my time sitting in a booth, behind a glass front, taking money and turning on the pumps. The steady stream of customers required me to keep a watchful gaze out front. This meant that most of the time I was also watching people file in and out with their chicken dinners. It seemed like all of KCK would drop in to get it and go home for a delicious dinner.

Humble Beginnings

In the 1960s there was a service station on 7th and Kansas Avenue named Go Gas. The owners, Bill and Mary Hendrix, felt it would fit to start serving fried chicken to customers. To their surprise, the chicken business soon eclipsed gas, so out came the pumps. This allowed them to focus on their new enterprise, which they renamed Go Chicken Go in 1969. In the early 70s, they moved their home base north on 7th to their present-day location near Central Avenue. Two other locations would be added but both would eventually close. In 1985, Bill and Mary’s boys would purchase the operations from their parents. The boys have moved the local chicken chain forward by adding four additional locations around the Kansas City metro.

Get It and Go

Back in the late 1970s, I would find that Go Chicken Go served as the source of many of my work meals. Stopping by just before starting my shift, I would be enticed by the smell of freshly cooked chicken.  I have always been partial to the legs, wings, and thighs, so I started with these familiar selections. You may notice that the chicken breasts at Go Chicken Go can be a little irregularly shaped. Tasting them proved that they tasted just as good as the rest of the pieces. On most days a Snack pack would satisfy my hunger. Those occasionally extra-hungry days would call for Dinner Meal. This added a third piece of chicken and some of their creamy coleslaw.

A box full of goodness starts with a visit to Go Chicken Go.

Fond Memories of Go Chicken Go

Times change as do we. There are things that remain, which tie us to our younger years. I know a ton of people are raving fans of the livers or gizzards, but they just never worked for me. I have always been happy to leave those for the other customers. These days there doesn’t seem to be as many fried chicken places, as there were in my youth. Besides GCG, I have found some nice flavors at Gus’s Fried Chicken, but I do miss the old KCK haunts like Mrs. Peter’s Chicken. Maybe I need to take a drive down the road to Pittsburg and revisit Chicken Mary’s or Annie’s. They both hold some great memories from the same time period as my early days at the gas station. How many of you still enjoy the flavor of Go Chicken Go?

the authors signatures.

14 thoughts on “Get it and Go at Go Chicken Go”

  1. Delicious!!! I miss them and wish there was one where I live … Still in Missouri just closer to St.Louis… I worked at the one they built on 42nd and Shawnee Dr. When they first opened In 2000… Turner Guys are awesome to work for…

  2. Ah, memories! Having worked downtown KCK for most of my career, I came to crave the occasional snack of gizzards and livers from Go Chicken Go. Whatever their secret recipe is, I’ve never found any better. The hot sauce is made in-house and is equally delicious. Go Chicken is my go-to comfort food.

  3. We’ve lived away from Kansas City for five years. Within the week we were back Go Chicken Go for dinner was a must. Been married 37 years & we’ve eating this great fried chicken since being newlyweds. Great food, always consistently fresh food. Never disappointed.

  4. They do the food every year for our family reunion and we go at least a couple times a month. Great local gem and wonderful LOCAL owners.

  5. Been enjoying GCG since your original place on 7th & Kansas Ave. Worked up the street at P&G. Retired in 1992 so now enjoy Olathe location. Been the same great food for all these years. Thanks

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top