A new gourmet gastropub and craft cocktail spot celebrating the repeal of prohibition has opened, bringing North Kansas City a little closer to the culinary scene happening in downtown Kansas City, located only 5 minutes away.
Repeal 18th Bar & Bistro has brought new life to the former firefighter’s bar, Johnny’s Back Yard, and they opened their doors last month introducing their new concept and executive chef, Bryan Sparks, and bar manager Darrell Loo, to the neighborhood.
Sparks is a young chef on the rise in Kansas City, who has been sharpening his skills at a wide variety of quality restaurants like Genessee Royale, 801 Fish, Jax’s Fish House & Oyster Bar and most recently Ostrea in St. Joseph, Missouri. He is excited about the opportunity to run his own kitchen at Repeal 18th. “We are going to be serving elevated pub food here with a variety of creative small plates to share, plus a few hearty entrée items,” he says. “The food will be delicious and comforting, but with some playful surprises.”
Look for maple roasted peanuts, pork belly nachos, Bay scallop ceviche, monkfish corn dogs and fried sweetbreads and brown butter parsnips skewers on the small plates menu, which are available to order 1 for $5, 3 for $12 and 5 for $19.
As for the bar program, Darrell Loo has been brought on board to create and manage their cocktail program, “which will offer a whiskey-driven craft cocktail menu, offering everything from Jim Bean to 25-year old Pappy, and a wine program that will scale from $6 a glass to offering $150 bottles,” says Sparks.
The space itself is split into several different seating areas and experiences. Outside there is a sizable patio and small stage, which they plan to book live music in about once a month. On the nights they are throwing a “repeal party” outside, they plan to close the restaurant kitchen and throw something on the grills outside that they can sell like burgers, barbecue or even a large pan of paella.
Inside the space is broken up into a larger downstairs space and full bar that can seat 55 people and a private upstairs space that will seat 20 and will be available to rent out for special events. Whiskey lockers will also be kept on premise for regulars to use to store their favorite brands.
Fans of Johnny’s Back Yard, won’t recognize the newly remodeled space with its cool grey walls, black leather seating, Eidson light bulbs and retro fixtures modern tiled bar and steampunk metal rail work around the private balcony. It definitely sets the stage for a more sophisticated dining experience that isn’t stuffy, just one that cares about offering a high quality experience in part of town that has more casual dining options.
Repeal 18th Bar & Bistro is the latest project for newly retired Edward Collins, a former Battalion Chief of the Kansas City Fire Department, and CEO of Burlington Mattress Co. He, and his daughter, Ann Cook, who serves as the COO of Burlington Mattress Co., will supervise the day-to-day operation of their new food and drink emporium.
“I would occasionally walk over and meet my old fire-fighting buddies at Johnny’s for a beer, so I knew the potential of this location and the great bones this place had,” says Collins. “It closed in March after 11 years, and then went up for sale 3 weeks ago, that’s when Ann and I jumped on it to open our next business together.”
The father-daughter team can see their new venture from the building that serves as home base for Burlington Mattress Co. located only a block away. They launched their first family business from that building on Burlington, growing it into a chain of 35-retail stores that they recently sold a part of allowing for Collins to finally make his move toward retirement.
Although owning a restaurant and bar doesn’t sound like much of a retirement, Collins assures me that this is something he has wanted to see in North Kansas City for many years, and he places his confidence in his daughter, the staff and particularly in Chef Bryan Sparks. “North Kansas City needs and is ready for an upscale chef-driven restaurant serving delicious gourmet food along with a great craft cocktail,” says Collins.
Collins points to the tremendous growth in new food and drink related businesses opening up now in North Kansas City, as why the timing is right for Repeal 18th. He has watched the entire area grow into a vibrant new entertainment district that is now home to a host of new restaurants, bars, retail and coffee shops, not to mention the craft beer breweries and liquor distilleries that have also chosen to make this part of town their home. Modest prices, real estate for sale and close proximity to downtown Kansas City all play into the explosive growth and interest in this area.
After the sneak peek party on Saturday, June 24, they plan to start soft opening the following week. Watch their Facebook page for all the updates on their upcoming opening celebrations.
Repeal 18th Bar & Bistro, 1825 Buchanan St, North Kansas City, Missouri, 816.527.9819, repeal18th.com
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