See inside Kansas City vintage shop transforming into café and hangout spot
A Kansas City second hand store officially opens the doors to its new location Friday, becoming a third space for those who love thrifted and vintage goods.
“A lot of people might be thinking, ‘Oh, a vintage store is just getting bigger,’ but it’s like a complete change,” said co-owner Reade Rex. “We now have a much more inviting space where people can hang out. “
The vintage shop moved from its West Bottoms location at 1420 W. 13th Terrace, Floor 2, to 1280 Liberty St. This will be their third location and features two floors. Rex’s first floor is filled with second hand clothing, shoes and accessories. Items mostly range from $7 to $14 and are frequently discounted. The space also has fitting rooms, a bathroom and the checkout counter.
Upstairs is Rex Cafe, a sunlit room filled with large comfy seating, area rugs, plants, and vintage decorations on the wall. The café, open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., serves various pastries, matcha, cold brew, drip and espresso with Marcell Coffee Roasters beans.
The second floor also features the Rex brother’s great-grandfather’s 1970s white Cadillac and their selection of curated vintage clothing, which typically ranges between $20 and $30, as well as their upcycled clothing that they screen print on.
On Friday, Rex is having an opening party featuring a local blues band with barbecue and tooth gems from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The first 100 shoppers will get goodie bags with various Rex merch.
“It’s going to be a complete experience transformation,” Reade Rex said.
Rex, opened back in 2023 in the Crossroads in 2023, selling vintage shirts, polos, hoodies, denim and jackets, as well as their own line of upcycled merch.
Co-owners (and brothers) Reade and Thomas Rex signed the lease for the new space in December, and three months ago they were given the opportunity to use the second floor. What was originally a condo was transformed by the two into a café after having some success hosting events in their old storefront.
“We started having some small community events there, and then we just decided that it just made sense, why not just have our own café, there’s a need for it, and we already have the café vibe is already built out with our decor and our seating and like lighting,” Reade Rex said.
It’s the first step, according to the brothers, in them becoming more than vintage clothing and focusing more on bringing people together and curating an experience.
“It’s kind of creating more of a hub,” Thomas Rex said, adding that they would be hosting more events in the space. “The second floor is going to be more for hanging out.”
“We’re booking out right now,” Reade Rex said about hosting events in August. “ We’ll move this furniture around and have music and popups and local brands.”
Rex is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 12:43 PM.
