Burnt end mac ‘n cheese over the river: This is Kansas City’s bridge restaurant
The long-awaited Rock Island Bridge project has announced its restaurant tenant.
Kansas Citians may even recognize some of the restaurant’s contributors.
Entrepreneur Andrew Miller (owner of Arthur Bryant’s and Guy’s Snacks) and chefs Bradley and Brittany Gilmore of Lula Southern Cookhouse will open a new restaurant called River House. It’ll be the sole restaurant concept on the pedestrian bridge being built 40 feet over the Kansas River.
What’s for dinner?
The new restaurant promises to serve “elevated street fare” and comfort food: burnt end mac ‘n cheese, charcuterie, and “gracious picnic basket spreads,” according to a media release.
Miller bought longtime, beloved barbecue brand Arthur Bryant’s in 2023 for an undisclosed price, along with Chris Stewe of MMD Acquisitions LLC.
The Gillmores opened their Southern-style restaurant in the Crossroads at the end of 2021, 1617 Main St.
The two-level bridge — near Kansas Avenue and Royal Park Drive — is currently looking at a fall opening date, said Mike Zeller, founder and CEO of the project.
The project will also feature a riverside Kansas City, Kansas, park with eventual plans for trails and floating docks for kayaking and canoeing.
On the upper level of the bridge, an event venue called American Royal Hall is in the works, currently booking corporate get-togethers, weddings and more.
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Tides are rising
The Rock Island Bridge initially eyed a 2023 opening date, but construction delays continually pushed the project back.
At first, the bridge was simply planned to be an entertainment venue with space for shows and a bar and restaurant, but partners have begun to see the space as an opportunity to open the Kansas River up for more recreational use.
“With water speeds at just about one-third of the Missouri River’s, the Kansas, or Kaw, as it’s known locally, is ideal for paddle craft,” Zeller previously told The Star.
Progress on the bridge continues, according to Zeller, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raising 13-mile-long levees for the bridge.
