Inside KC’s new beach-themed, upscale restaurant and lounge: ‘Luxury vacation’
The staff at Palm Tree Club make no promises that visitors will see Sydney Sweeney, Leonardo DiCaprio or Alix Earle — though each of the aforementioned celebrities have visited other club locations.
They do, however, ensure guests will experience quality cocktails and excitement at the new Kansas City spot, opening Friday, Sept. 12.
The 11,000-square-foot, two-level location at 14 E. 14th St. provides what team member Eric Coomes likes to call “vibe dining.”
It’s not quite the bass-thumping, free-spirited, dancing atmosphere of a night club. But it’s not stuffy like some upscale restaurants, either. The space is geared toward parties who want excitement before they hit the club, or those who want to have fun before tucking into bed by 10 p.m.
A DJ will spin tunes from his booth while customers dine on dishes like octopus yakitori.
“It’s more about creating the energy or the atmosphere where people want to have a good night, want to celebrate with friends,” Coomes said. “It’s a little more of a party energy, vibe, with dinner.”
The word “energy” was a recurring one at a media tour Thursday afternoon. John Moncke, president of the Power and Light District, said the booming downtown district is powering Kansas City’s growth.
“We see our role as a high horsepower engine that produces energy, and Palm Tree Club is part of that,” he said. “There’s so much energy happening right now downtown.”
The Kansas City location will be Palm Tree Club’s fourth. Founded by Myles Shear and Norwegian DJ Kygo, the concept’s first two spots opened in Orlando and Miami last year. A few months ago, it opened another location in Las Vegas — a debut attended by Patrick Schwarzenegger and Machine Gun Kelly, among other celebrities.
In the new location, a mixture of booths and light-wood tables cover the floor.
A wooden art piece loops around the center of the bar and spirals upward to the second floor, with plants climbing down its back. More greenery hangs from the ceiling and is perched on the staircase. A projection system broadcasts clips of tropical islands on the walls.
Upstairs, customers will find more seating and a rooftop bar with wraparound views of downtown. Natural light and palm trees cover the space, despite the Midwest’s propensity for freezing winters.
Designer Beth Bloom said she created the space to be an oasis in landlocked Missouri.
“They really want it to feel like you’re on a never-ending luxury vacation,” she said. “We’re really excited we’ve been able to do that with the brand.”
Before Palm Tree Club moved in, the space was home to sushi restaurant Drunken Fish.
The menu aims to give customers a little bit of everything.
For the drinks, the Firestone is a blanco tequila, chile liqueur and fresh watermelon juice cocktail with a rim of Tajin. An espresso martini flight includes three: the Palm Tree Club Classic, a salted caramel espresso martini and a tiramisu espresso martini.
The Dubai chocolate martini has vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur and pistachio. In the lavender Hugo spritz: Prosecco, lavender, lime, mint, St-Germain and an edible flower — all courtesy of beverage director Emily Lenderman.
Dining options are plentiful. On Thursday, chef Joe Shirley served up spicy edamame hummus, burrata, A5 wagyu dumplings, hamachi carpaccio, mezze rigatoni, Dubai chocolate tiramisu and more.
Shirley said many of the options are made to share with the table.
“I love the style where you can come in and order a ton of things with your friends, and you can just get bombarded by all the creative plates,” he said.
A photo of Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce sits on a shelf above a dining booth. Coomes said Kelce has attended a few music festivals hosted by Palm Tree Crew, which is the KC Palm Tree Club’s entertainment brand. The Chiefs tight end also knows some of the key players in Palm Tree Crew.
While Kansas City might seem like an unlikely choice for a luxury beach club, Palm Tree Club already has connections to the Kansas City Live! entertainment district. The nightlife-heavy district, known for holding watch parties for major sporting events, had more than 18 million visitors in last year and is operated by Cordish Companies.
The same company operates the Live! at the Pointe Orlando district, where the original Palm Tree Club resides.
The restaurant will be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The rooftop will stay open one hour later each night. Reservations can be made online at powerandlightdistrict.com/Eat-and-Drink/Palm-Tree-Club.
Meanwhile, downtown Kansas City continues to see growth.
Last fall, Cordish Companies announced a $10 million makeover for its Kansas City Live! Block in the Power and Light District. That upgrade included expanding the Mosaic nightclub and a new Latin restaurant and bar, Besos y Abrazos.
This, of course, all happens with the 2026 FIFA World Cup inching closer.
Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ steakhouse, 1587 Prime, will open Sept. 17 at 1500 Baltimore Ave., inside the Loews Hotel.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 4:10 PM.