New American restaurant will open in former Corvino space in Kansas City
After Corvino, a renowned Kansas City restaurant of nine years, closed, something new will take its place.
A new American restaurant called The Fold will open in over a month at 1830 Walnut St., offering everything from tuna tartare to ribeye. It’ll be an upscale, full-service bar and restaurant with a social atmosphere.
“While we are kind of elevated in dining, we still want it to be a place where you can kind of hang out at,” owner Todd Richards said.
Some of the team behind Roots Seasonal Cuisine is responsible for bringing the new concept to life. Richards is the bar manager for Roots. Amanda Accurso and Brandon Sharp own Roots and are partners in The Fold.
The menu isn’t quite ironed out yet, but Richards promised quality drinks and friendly conversation.
“While we are going to be really thoughtful about our food … our main goal is to build a stronger sense of community,” he said.
Its name, The Fold, is meant to portray the restaurant’s vision. Richards and his partners want the spot to be a place where people of all walks of life can enter and feel welcomed in.
People can dress up for date nights, but there’s no dress code. It’ll still have impressive finishes, Richards promised. The atmosphere will be “luxurious but not pretentious.”
The team is excited to open the new spot in the former Corvino space, while realizing it’s an iconic space. On the one hand, they feel as though they have big shoes to fill. On another, they see it as a good indicator that The Fold could succeed.
“We’re gonna be able to go into a space where a restaurant was successful in for the last decade,” Richards said.
Corvino offered a rotating, fine-dining menu from the time it opened in 2017 until its closure on New Year’s Eve 2025. Chef Michael Corvino has received many James Beard nominations for his cooking.
“There were awards and accolades aplenty, but what we take with us is the friendships. With our staff, our regulars, and with you. Our greatest satisfaction came from giving you a night to remember,” the restaurant wrote. “We’re happy to close the doors to Corvino on our own accord, as a thoughtful decision on the completion of a beautiful chapter.”
Last August, Corvino announced plans to sell the business to restaurateur Whitney VinZant, whose portfolio includes Gram & Dun, Va Bene and Cafe Trio.
The Star reported last fall, however, that the sale had fallen through. In a message sent to staff at the time, co-owners Michael and Christina Corvino said they decided to walk away from the deal, citing VinZant’s “inability to uphold their original commitments.”
“We cannot lower our standards or ethics no matter what,” the Corvinos wrote. “We apologize for the inconvenience or anxiety it may have caused you, as we had put months into plans to avoid that.”