Kansas City’s Westport Saloon closed last year. Here’s who is about to move in

The owner of Westport’s Cancun Fiesta Fresh is expanding with a full-service restaurant, offering a different menu less than two blocks away.

Brix Latin American Cuisine plans a May opening at 4112 Pennsylvania Ave. The Westport Saloon formerly operated in the space.

Brix is described as “Kansas City’s newest hip and unique Latin American gastronomy experience.”

Rafael Pinedo, CEO and founder, said the chef is relocating from California and still working on the menu, but it will include steaks and pastas.

“I have been at Cancun for 16 years and it has been very good to me. I wanted to stay in the same neighborhood,” Pinedo said. “This will be more upscale food service, the ideas the chef has and the mixology will be very different than anything in Kansas City.”

The Westport Saloon closed at the end of 2021.

Cancun Fiesta Fresh, with a Mexican menu, is at 4019 Pennsylvania Ave.

Pinedo also owned Eat Me Gourmet, which operated in back of the Brix space. But it will not reopen.

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 1:54 PM.