Kansas City restaurant closed. But after pleas from fans, it’s back with broader menu

A Waldo favorite, Boru Ramen Bar, closed permanently in June, blaming the economic conditions caused by the pandemic.

At least it was the owners’ intention to close for good.

They even showed the space at 500 W. 75th St. to other interested restaurateurs.

“We thought we were done. But then we got so much positive feedback: ‘Can you do a pop-up?’ and ‘We come every week for this.’ We just needed more of them,” said Andy Lock, partner with Domhnall Molloy. “So the new menu is going to be a little more diverse, a little more approachable. I think we really have a chance to be successful.”

Lock and Molloy, along with their culinary director Po Wang, will open Boru Asian Eatery in the space by late October.

The interior will be “refreshed” with lighter paint, new tile and flooring, and a gold ceiling.

It will be open for lunch, dinner and happy hour daily. It also will offer curbside pickup and delivery.

The menu will offer a selection of Asian cuisine including blue crab Rangoon, Dandan noodles, dumplings, spring rolls, and a variety of rice bowls.

And some Boru Ramen Bar favorites will return such as the bao buns, crispy brussels sprouts salad, and a couple of ramen bowls — the Boru 2.0 and the Spicy Miso. It also will have craft cocktails, sake, wine and beer.

Lock and Domhnall also own Summit Grill and South of Summit Taqueria & Tequila on the same block. They have Summit Grill restaurants in Gladstone and Lee’s Summit, and Third Street Social in Lee’s Summit, and they are opening a Third Street Social in the former Nick and Jake’s space south of the Country Club Plaza.

The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association honored Lock and Molloy with the 2017 Restaurateur of the Year award, its highest honor.

This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 11:53 AM.