A 10-year-old dive bar in West Bottoms has closed: ‘Nothing lasts forever’

A West Bottoms bar known for its dive drinks and late-night menu of scratch-made bar food has shut its doors for good, according to an Instagram post.

The team behind Lucky Boys announced Thursday on social media that the tavern had closed just months after the crew celebrated Lucky Boys’ anniversary, 10 years after it took over Grandma’s Bar & Grill at 1615 Genessee St.

“Families get bigger, and families get smaller; that’s life,” the closure post said. “Nothing lasts forever. Thank you to everyone that made Lucky Boys such a special place. Cheers to all of those great nights under the stars at 1615 Genessee. It was our pleasure to serve y’all.”

The Kansas City Star emailed Lucky Boys for more information about the closure but didn’t hear back in time for publication.

The closure post on Thursday morning had already garnered more than 100 comments from social media users, most of them sharing memories or expressing sadness over the sudden shuttering.

“I’ll be yearning for Lucky Boys for the rest of my life,” said one user.

“I’m asking for bereavement leave from work because of this,” said another.

“Man this makes me sad,” another user posted. “Wish I had one more steak night. Gonna miss y’all.”

Lucky Boys was opened by Justin Norcross, Dan Myers and Keenan Nichols in early 2016, reported Feast Magazine at the time. The bar, decorated in velvet paintings and other retro touches, became an institution in Kansas City for its unpretentious drink selection and its fun menu of dishes like the Louisville hot chicken sandwich and the “Fillet-O-Fish.”

During the pandemic, Lucky Boys developed a pizza menu to much success. The pizza menu spun off into its own neighboring concept, Fortunati, from Norcross in 2023, but the pizzeria also recently closed.