Piano bars just opened in Kansas City, Johnson County. Another is coming to Westport

The job market for Kansas City pianists is looking up this year.

Uptown Lounge piano bar opened in midtown in June, then Tequila Flats at Guitars & Cadillacs, a dueling piano bar, opened in Overland Park in July.

Now a group affiliated with Jack n’ Diane’s Dueling Piano Bar in South Carolina is looking at opening a similar concept in the former Komatsu Ramen spot at 3951 Broadway.

If all goes as planned, the “interactive live music experience” would open later this year. It would center around a grand piano and a band on a stage with multiple levels. The house band would play customer requests.

It would have a dance floor, two large bars and high top tables.

It also would have a food and drink menu including specialty cocktails such as the “fishbowl” drinks popular at Jack n’ Diane’s. It will have a cover charge.

“It will be a show. They will request a song and it is the performance of the song that will be the most impressive part,” said Matt Kschinka, partner.

He was the entertainment director at the Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar in Westport a decade ago, before working for other Ernie Biggs locations and then joining Jack n’ Diane’s.

The owners are still deciding on a name for the new Broadway venue.

This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM.