Popular Kansas City bookstore and bar to close, asks fans for help
Popular bookstore and bar Afterword Tavern & Shelves will soon close — at least for now.
The spot in Kansas City’s Crossroads district, 1834 Grand Blvd., announced via social media that it would not operate at that location past Jan. 31.
“After many grueling months of ‘what-ifs’ and ‘hope-nots’ — Afterword is closing the book,” the statement reads in part. “We have created some real magic here on our little corner of 19th and Grand — and we couldn’t have done it without all of you.”
The shop also asked for help to “write its next book” by scoping out a potential new location.
Ownership could not be immediately reached for further comment Wednesday morning.
To mourn Afterword, the bar is asking fans to stop by in all black for its closing event — Afterword’s Last Hoorah — on Jan. 24.
The spot is also collecting non-perishable food items in exchange for discounts on cocktails, with a goal of donating 250 pounds of food.
Afterword opened in Kansas City in 2018, selling books and serving literary-inspired cocktails that rotate seasonally.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 10:29 AM.