A Toast to Tommy — and His Dog

By JEN CHEN

I’ve been to Tommy Farha’s Café & Bar only twice — both times in the context of Wornall bar tours — but I liked the bar’s laid-back diveishness. Located at 80th and Wornall, the cozy place draws a steady crowd of neighborhood regulars and serves up beer for cheap.

I never met the eponymous co-owner Tommy Farha, but I heard that he was quite a character — especially considering he named his dog after himself. The Lhasa apso Tommy Farha was described to me as the “most spoiled dog in Kansas City.” At one point, he even installed an electric fence at the door because the dog kept escaping out of the bar. Sadly, after this Night Ranger column came out about the place, I heard the health department descended and banned Tommy the dog from hanging out at the bar.

So, when I read this obituary in the Star that Tommy Farha (the human) had died, I was bummed that I never got to meet him or his dog. The visitation and funeral services will be held at 5 p.m. Friday. Farha’s friends will gather at the bar before and after the services.

As for Tommy Farha the dog, he was adopted by a couple about a year ago. “He’s got a good home with a big yard,” said Cat, one of the bartenders who also helps run the place. At least one thing hasn’t changed: “He’s very spoiled.”

For more information about the gathering, call 816-444-0990.