A gun and accessory store has plans to build at the site of the former Big Boy’s restaurant in Wright City. Osage County Guns, to be constructed at Hedeman Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway, will …
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A gun and accessory store has plans to build at the site of the former Big Boy’s restaurant in Wright City.
Osage County Guns, to be constructed at Hedeman Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway, will be 18,000 square feet, according to a site plan approved by the city. The plan includes space for a potential indoor gun range to be built in the future.
Osage County Guns has an existing location outside of Belle, Mo., where it sells handguns, rifles, shotguns and various accessories, according to the business’s website.
The 2.5-acre Big Boy’s property was vacated in 2005 after the restaurant closed. It was forced to shut down because the owners failed to pay almost $30,000 in state sales taxes.
Wright City bought the property in 2011 for $170,000, eventually paying to demolish the deteriorating restaurant.
In June, the city sold 2 acres of the property to the owners of Osage County Guns for $200,000.
The city kept a half-acre lot with a secondary building still standing to the west of the main lot. Officials said that could eventually be sold or developed.
City Clerk Karen Girondo said a lot of the utilities on the Big Boy’s property are out of date and need to be replaced to meet modern standards.
The city is working together with the developer to install a new waterline.
The site plan for Osage County Guns was approved during the Wright City Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting Oct. 26. The board meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m. at Wright City Hall. Meetings are open to the public.
In its heyday, Big Boy’s was a popular stop for local residents and highway travelers. It was famous for its all-you-can-eat fried chicken and traditional family-style meals.
According to published reports, Big Boy’s got its start in 1924 and operated at its most recent location since 1948, changing owners several times but continuing the same family meal tradition.
Big Boy's Restaurant in Wright City, as seen on an undated post card. The property where the restaurant once stood will be the site of an Osage County Guns store. Submitted photo/Warren County Historical Society.
