Openings & Closings

Beloved Kansas City bar, Afterword, will reopen in a new location

Guests sit inside Afterword on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Kansas City.
Guests sit inside Afterword on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Kansas City. The cocktail bar and bookstore closed at the end of January. ecuriel@kcstar.com

Afterword Tavern & Shelves — a beloved Kansas City bar that was forced to close at the beginning of the year — has found a new home.

The bookstore and bar will move into the former Brewer’s Corner space at 3105 Gillham Road, according to manager Kate Smith.

Its opening date is pending.

Selling books and serving literary-themed cocktails, Afterword was started by Christian Overgaard and Luke Pitz in 2018. The duo still own the bar, while Kate Hall manages.

The business announced late last year via social media that it would have to close its 1834 Grand Blvd. spot. The building’s new owner is planning a different concept, Hall said.

Afterword closed in late January but remained hopeful that it would find a new space.

“We’re not done,” Hall said ahead of the bar’s closure. “The stars are gonna have to align, which, we have a really strong community, so I’m super optimistic that it’s a possibility.”

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Jenna Thompson
The Kansas City Star
Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.
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