Kansas City Italian restaurant will close, reopen as Mexico City-inspired bar
Hospitality group Exit Strategy is waving goodbye to its Renaissance-inspired Italian restaurant, Bar Medici, less than two years after it opened.
But it hopes the farewell tears will be short lived, for another concept will debut in the space.
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A new cocktail bar called Jade Jaguar is making its permanent home at 1800 Walnut St., underneath The Mercury Room.
Operating partner Manny Gomez — a beverage consultant who crafted the menu for Latin bar Kohinoor and Le Lounge adjacent to Hotel No Vacancy — is opening it as a place of his own. The other operating partner is Seth Goldwasser, the bar manager of The Town Company.
Bar Medici will close Sept. 18. Jade Jaguar will tentatively open mid-October.
Gomez aims to make the bar an approachable place with cocktails inspired by Mexico City.
“Jade Jaguar … blends high-end mixology with that colorful, really late-night lounge vibe in the heart of the Crossroads,” he said.
Gomez also hopes to host events in the space — think salsa nights.
When Gomez was first contacted by David Manica, owner of Exit Strategy, Manica was seeking help to differentiate Bar Medici from its sister concept upstairs. Manica, who will remain owner of the bar, thought Bar Medici and The Mercury Room had too similar of a feel. Both are upscale, romantic and dressy.
Gomez had been doing Jade Jaguar pop-ups for about a year and thought the concept would be more approachable to customers. His is more of a communal hangout than an intimate date night.
And while Jade Jaguar is certainly an homage to Mexico native Gomez’s home, it isn’t a Mezcal bar.
Like other bars in Mexico City, Jade Jaguar will borrow flavors from several different cultures. That’s why Gomez clarifies that Jade Jaguar will be a Mexico City bar, not just a “Mexican bar.”
“If you like vodka, if you like Irish whiskey, if you like sake … you’re going to be able to find that in our bar,” he said. “(Mexico City bars) are really utilizing flavors and components from all over the world while still emphasizing that you’re in Mexico City.”
On the drinks side, Gomez said he’s doing riffs on common Mexican drinks like the margarita, paloma and mojito. He’s keeping the signature cocktails hush-hush for now. Stay tuned until October.
The food menu includes some small bites and shareables: chips and guacamole, small quesadillas, tacos, horchata ice cream, pineapple sorbet and more. But Gomez said the menu will be drinks-first, so don’t come starving.
Customers can consistently expect new offerings.
“They’re gonna be able to come in and still be able to find something new every time they come in, because we’re gonna be constantly working our menu,” he said.
Gomez hopes the spot will be a worthy addition to an already bustly area, near concepts like Green Lady Lounge, The Wise Guy, Corvino, Novel and more.
The name itself is a nod to the jade jaguar throne room in Chichen Itza. Though endangered, wild jaguars are still found across Mexico and are a popular fixture in Mesoamerican art.
His hope, along with providing a fun atmosphere, is that customers will celebrate Mexican culture.
“The temperature of our political climate is a little bit strange right now,” Gomez said. “The main goal here is just to provide these hubs of community gatherings where we can all kinda learn from each other and be around each other.
“That’s what’s gonna make our city better day by day.”
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM.