New Westport lounge with two levels will offer high-end bottle service

Brett Allred and Ashton Martin first met through work and then started a friendship.

But soon their passion for nightlife entertainment and Westport had them exchanging ideas for a new concept that would fill a niche — a high-end, high-volume bottle service lounge.

“It went from tossing ideas across the table to ‘Let’s do this,’” Allred said.

Their idea — Scarlet — is now under construction at 421 Westport Road and scheduled for a late summer opening. The space formerly housed Snow & Co.

It will be on two levels. The street level will be a lounge and open daily for happy hour until 3 a.m., while the lower level will be open Fridays and Saturdays as a “higher energy” bar offering bottle service — typically booked in advance with a table minimum — and it also will have a patio area with fire pit.

Allred grew up in Leawood and moved to Manhattan to attend Kansas State University. A year after graduating, he opened his first bar in Manhattan and now has Shot Stop, Johnny Kaw’s, Johnny Kaw’s Yard Bar and Bomb Bar in eight connected Aggieville buildings, holding more than 1,000 people. Along with Johnny Kaw’s in Westport, he also will open Johnny Kaw’s Yard Bar in Westport in June and has a Johnny Kaw’s in Waldo.

Martin grew up in small Kansas town, population 80. His forte is entertainment — as DJ Ashton Martin, as well as in booking live entertainment for conventions and corporate and private events including weddings. He started a dozen years ago while attending the University of Kansas and working as a bartender and bar manager in Lawrence. He learned to DJ, first with CDs and then with vinyl.

“I looked it as an actual career. My motto is pretty much ‘No days off,’” said Martin, who moved to the Kansas City area in 2008. “I was hungry and still am. I told myself I would never say no to any opportunity.”

He met Allred four years ago, on Fake Patty’s Day at Johnny Kaw’s in Manhattan. Martin was the DJ and came back to work the event the next year. Once Allred opened Johnny Kaw’s in Westport in 2016, the two men became friends.

“He ran a pretty tight ship. I really paid attention,” Martin said.

Snow & Co. shut down in March so the owners could concentrate on their Snow Pops, an adult popsicle.

This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 5:12 PM with the headline "New Westport lounge with two levels will offer high-end bottle service."