This Johnson County seafood restaurant will open in a former taco shop space soon

Three years after opening its first location, seafood restaurant Mariscos KC is looking to add another restaurant in Johnson County.

This spot will open at 6505 Nieman Road in Shawnee, taking over the old Sancho Streetside space.

Sancho, a taco restaurant, closed last April after having been open for about a year.

Mariscos’ Shawnee spot will serve the same offerings as its other location: molcajetes, tacos, ceviche, seafood boil, Cajun pasta and other dishes.

Its target opening date is Nov. 1.

Owner Juan Vallez started the restaurant as a weekend catering business while working full-time in the intermodal industry. Mariscos (which means “seafood” in Spanish) opened in Olathe at 519 E. Santa Fe St. in November 2021.

Now, Vallez said he’s looking forward to serving customers close to where his catering business began. He’s hoping to benefit from some of the traffic generated by downtown Shawnee, nearby, too.

His Shawnee spot will have a full bar — where patrons can sip on micheladas, palomas and other cocktails — but Vallez said the location will be family-friendly. Screens around the restaurant will allow patrons to catch Kansas City’s most important games.

For now, its hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.