Hole In Da Wall, the counter known for burgers, fried catfish and loaded crinkle-cut fries, quietly rolled out a second outpost inside a Rocket Stop gas station in Claycomo in mid-July 2026. The new Northland setup, tucked inside the Rocket Stop on U.S. 69, brings along the same value-minded lineup of two-fillet catfish meals, 12-piece shrimp plates and half-pound burgers that helped the Benton Boulevard window build a loyal local following. Founders Avery Smith and his cousin Kevin Roberson say the gas-station approach keeps overhead low while they map out a third Rocket Stop location and an eventual full brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Where To Order And What’s On The Menu
The Claycomo counter is listed on Hole In Da Wall's website at 336 US-69, with posted hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and options for online pickup and DoorDash delivery. The site also keeps the original Benton Boulevard address at 1800 Benton Blvd front and center and teases "Claycomo & Grandview Opening Soon" as the cousins expand. The online menu lists loaded crinkle-cut fries for $7, a two-fillet catfish meal for $15 and half-pound burgers starting at $12.
According to clayhealth.com, "Food establishment inspection results are public record and may be viewed by the public. Results are available online or by viewing the office file at the Clay ..." Inspectionsonline.us indicates Clay County's food service and pool operating inspections are public record, with records available "June 2016 to present."
A Local Creator’s Reach
Glenn Robinson, the creator behind Hood Dude Food Reviews and The Epitome KC, has turned into a frequent spark for small dining spots, according to a Startland News profile. Startland documented Robinson’s rapid follower growth along with his push to spotlight Black-owned and independent restaurants across the metro. That kind of social-media shine has worked its way into the playbook for KC counters and chefs who want to grow without big marketing budgets.
According to a working paper hosted in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's DSpace, social-media popularity has been found to influence foot traffic to retail businesses. According to a ScholarWorks@GVSU study (2024), implementing digital marketing strategies has been shown to significantly correlate with increased foot traffic to restaurants in local-event settings.
Owners Plan Cautious Expansion
The Kansas City Star reports the first Hole In Da Wall opened inside a Shell Xpress Mart on Benton Boulevard last July and that the cousins waited a year before debuting the Claycomo counter. The Star notes the Claycomo spot has no dine-in seating and that the owners are banking on $10 daily specials to draw employees from the nearby Ford plant and Amazon warehouse. Smith told the paper, "It was a huge uptick in traffic" after a Hood Dude Food Reviews post, and he said a third Rocket Stop in Grandview is already in the works. Wikipedia's Kansas City page lists the Ford Motor Co. Kansas City Assembly Plant with 9,021 employees.
As they test new neighborhoods from gas-station counters to eventual storefronts, the cousins say consistency matters more than speed. Hole In Da Wall’s blend of comfort food and late-day takeout is a reminder that low-overhead, high-flavor concepts can still carve out space in the KC market. According to MR Williams (citing a 2022 report from NACS), "91% of convenience store operator respondents planned to invest significantly in their food service programs in 2023." According to the National Restaurant Association, "The Association expects food and beverage sales to continue rising across all the major segments in 2023 as consumers continue to prioritize restaurants." According to an Agree Realty report citing NACS figures, in-store sales comprised 37.1% of total convenience-store sales in 2023, up from 33.8% the year before. NACS Magazine noted that "convenience stores are one of the fastest growing food segments, with foodservice (prepared food; commissary; hot, cold and frozen dispensed ...", underscoring the sector's increasing focus on prepared food offerings.
