A vintage Midwest-chic bar just opened in Kansas City. See inside
Phoebe wears cherry red lipstick, worn-out Levi’s and leather boots.
She smokes in the front seat of her truck and cranks the stereo knob when Fleetwood Mac plays. She’s calculating with a deck of cards and tips her cowboy hat to strangers.
That’s the picture Callidus Hospitality paints of the semi-mythical namesake of their new spot, Bar Phoebe.
The rooftop hangout recently opened at the top of Molzer Development’s Holtman building, 708 E. 18th St., and it’s technically named after Kansas City suffragette Phoebe Jane Ess.
But “Phoebe” also refers to nobody in particular. It’s grit, it’s charm, it’s hot Midwest summers. Phoebe’s energy carries through its wood panel walls, diner-style barstools and checkered floors.
Light fixtures and side tables from the ‘70s give the space an air of simplicity.
Marketing manager Chloe Lane said the concept is meant to be a nod to vintage, Midwestern summers. A red rotary phone, which isn’t set up to make calls, hangs outside the 200-person space and invites customers to snap pictures.
“You just feel like maybe you’re at your parents’ basement or the garage or the dive bar down the street,” she said. “You just feel that good, Midwestern hospitality.”
Callidus’ creative director Victoria George is the visionary behind the concept, as well as upcoming bar Soca, which is coming soon to the Aladdin development at 1215 Wyandotte. That, too, is a Molzer Development project.
Bar Phoebe’s Americana style is sprinkled in its cocktails and cuisine.
Specialty drinks include the Phoebe Jane ($15), which has vodka, black cherry and lemon-lime soda — the bar’s take on a Dirty Shirley. The Flat Head ($15) is meant to taste like an orange creamsicle and has vodka, vanilla cream and orange soda.
Typical tried-and-true cocktails, shots, beer and wine will also be available.
Food, served by bartenders wearing T-shirts that read “America’s sweetheart,” includes ranch-flavored wings ($14); a walking taco ($10); a burger with French onion aioli, bacon and egg ($14); and a slice of pie ($8, or an extra $2 to have it a la mode).
Lots of wings have been ordered, Lane said.
“We have heard amazing feedback,” she said. “Honestly, we could not have asked for it to go better. We did not expect to have a line out the door — we did, two nights in a row.”
It’s an indoor-outdoor space, with garage bay doors that open to an outdoor deck, which has its own bar via a walkup window. The deck wraps around the top of the building, providing panoramic views of the East Crossroads.
During the colder months, Bar Phoebe will close the outdoor area, allowing it to operate year round.
It’s been busy, Lane said. They’re still playing around with hours, but the bar is posting dates and times it’s open on its social media pages.
This week, it will be open Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday 3 to 10 p.m.