New game-centric bar opens in historic Kansas City Star building
For decades, the halls of the historic brick building at 17th and McGee streets were filled with the sounds of clicking typewriter keys and smells of fresh newsprint.
Now the former Kansas City Star building, which the paper vacated in 2018, will smell of Miller High Life and peach margaritas. The sounds of ping-pong balls bouncing and bags hitting cornhole boards will reverberate throughout the halls.
Ricochet — an Iowa-based concept that offers shuffleboard, darts, bumper pool, billiards, board games, Skee-Ball and more — opened a spot in Kansas City at 1720 McGee St.
It quietly opened over the weekend, but it will celebrate its grand opening Tuesday.
After that, it will be open from 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Sundays and Saturdays, promising entertainment options for everyone 21 and over.
A new concept for Kansas City
This is Ricochet’s second location, and it’s the first in KC. Owners Brad Argo and Mike Utley opened the first location in 2021 in Des Moines.
But Ricochet’s origins stretch back several years before, with Argo’s ping-pong club called King Pong Ping Pong League, which operated above Up Down’s Iowa location. The league became a popular spot in the community over the course of time.
“People just kept showing up and showing up,” Argo said. “Then we had companies be like, ‘Hey, we want to rent your space.’”
As the ping-pong club grew, Argo approached his friend, Utley, with the idea to open a bar concept. He hoped Utley could give his expertise from the hospitality side, because Utley owned an American-style restaurant in the area.
“We talked about post-pandemic how it was kind of the perfect time to open something like this,” Utley said.
Argo’s vision for the space was to create the same connection folks found at King Pong. Looking around the bar on a Friday night and seeing crowds laugh and share moments of healthy competition, he thinks he accomplished that.
“People are kind of sick of just going to the bar and drinking constantly,” Argo said. “Here it’s like, ‘Let’s play a game together.’”
Several bars and restaurants offering entertainment experiences opened in Kansas City over the past few months: Arrow Dart Club opened in the Crossroads in October, and massive putt-putt complex Tap Ins debuted in Overland Park in December.
A baseball-centric bar called Sandlot is winding up for its entrance in Lenexa, and 810 Entertainment will take over the former Pinstripes location in Prairiefire.
‘People are thirsty for experiences’
At Ricochet, Argo and Utley aim to offer something for everyone, from beer pong to basketball.
“That’s what we’re passionate about,” Argo said. “People are thirsty for experiences. … You can tell people are choosing to come to Ricochet because they’re gonna get a unique experience.”
There are a few ways to enjoy Ricochet. Firstly, customers can simply come in, order a drink and people watch at the bar. There’s no cover charge.
Those who want to try a little of everything might opt for a $10 unlimited game pass to unlock access to premium games like billiards, darts, bumper pool, ping pong and more. Free games include foosball, bubble hockey, Skee-Ball and cornhole.
Customers can also opt to rent one of the premium games for a certain time slot.
“You can kinda have whatever experience you want here,” Utley said.
The menu includes a variety of beer and wine options, as well as a few cocktails like the Pool Shark (a choice of rum, vodka, or tequila, blue curaçao, piña colada mix, sour, orange juice and a shark gummy) for $8.50.
Ricochet is the latest business that’s opened along McGee Street. In December, BKS Artisan Ales opened its second location across the street. Minnesota-based sports bar Beckett’s opened its first KC location that same month.
Argo hopes the stretch of bars will become the next happening spot in KC.
“We really feel like this is a good consortium of bars,” he said. “None of us are stepping on each other’s toes. We all have our own concepts going on.”