Kimberly Rowland Rebrands Christy’s Tasty Queen as Kimmie’s Tasty Queen

Kimberly Rowland has officially rebranded Christy’s Tasty Queen to Kimmie’s Tasty Queen, marking a new ownership era for the Kansas City, Kansas, burger stand. Rowland, a former server at Dagwood’s Cafe and a long-time fill-in at Christy’s, now holds the keys to the establishment that has operated in the Turner neighborhood since the 1960s.

The restaurant, originally named Carter’s Tasty Queen, was under the stewardship of Lowell and Marla Christy for the last 43 years. The site remains a compact walk-up counter with no indoor seating, featuring a red and white exterior and a letterboard menu. A sign outside still advertises the spot as serving KC’s Best Tenderloin, a staple that Rowland confirms will continue to be prepared exactly as it has been for decades.

Rowland attributes her successful transition to her deep roots in the community. She has lived in Turner her whole life and remains active in local school sports and PTA meetings. She says this background helped ease the anxiety of taking over a beloved local institution. She notes that the supportive response from neighbors has been overwhelming, with patrons traveling from various parts of the city to visit the counter.

The shift in ownership gained public attention through social media. At the suggestion of her children, Rowland began posting short videos on TikTok. One clip, in which she stands outside the shop holding a large pork tenderloin sandwich while announcing her new role, has garnered over 200,000 views. Subsequent videos, including a brief introduction of the new tender bender, a chicken tender sandwich, have also reached hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Rowland plans to introduce gradual changes to the menu and operations without altering the core identity of the business. The restaurant will launch breakfast service on Saturdays and begin accepting catering orders. She also intends to introduce Friday football nights, inviting local school teams to stop by for ice cream after their games. A food truck is scheduled to debut next year.

The new name, Kimmie’s Tasty Queen, was selected to reflect the personal connection Rowland feels to the neighborhood. She states that the homey atmosphere of the diner is the primary reason she pursued the ownership. She wants customers to feel welcomed and treated like family, especially during difficult times, leveraging the intimate nature of the walk-up format to create a sense of belonging.

Rowland’s background in the service industry includes years of working the dining room at Dagwood’s Cafe, where she developed a reputation for warmth and congeniality. She describes her approach to the new venture as a way to share kindness with her children and the public. The rebranding signals a transition from a family-run legacy to a new local steward who intends to maintain the traditional fare while expanding the restaurant’s reach through digital platforms and community events.