North-side Houlihan’s now serving

O’Reilly Hospitality LLC – owned by members of the O’Reilly Automotive family – opened the Houlihan’s at 2431 N. Glenstone Ave. inside a newly renovated Doubletree Hotel. The company purchased the former Hawthorn Park Hotel at Glenstone Avenue and Kearney Street in 2006 and spent $9 million renovating the 201-room facility.

Staff at Houlihan’s, a Leawood, Kan.-based casual-dining chain known for its classic American cuisine, spent last weekend training for Monday’s soft opening. Houlihan’s invited special guests to dine for free and hosted receptions for local nonprofits Isabel’s House and Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks.

General Manager Charity Brooks said Houlihan’s has about 126 full- and part-time employees, including kitchen manager Michael Boggs, and a seating capacity of nearly 250.

Houlihan’s menu offers a wide variety of appetizers and entrees, ranging in price from $7.75 for chicken fingers to $24.95 for an 8-ounce filet mignon. Brooks said the chicken breast stuffed with garlic-herb cream cheese at $15.95 is particularly popular among patrons.

Houlihan’s also has a full bar and an outdoor patio capable of seating about 32 people, Brooks said. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The bar stays open an hour after closing every night, Brooks said.

O’Reilly Hospitality plans to open another Houlihan’s on Springfield’s south side next year. The 6,300-square-foot restaurant will be at the southeast corner of Republic Road and Harvard Avenue, according to previous Springfield Business Journal coverage.[[In-content Ad]]