River Market’s Varsity Club is more than just spaghett and bangarang
Photo by Darren Carter
Even for people with the most discerning tastes, there’s just something special about the perfect neighborhood bar. A place where you can meet with your buddies or just cozy up to the bar and make new friends. A place where you feel at home ordering a signature cocktail just as much as you feel at home ordering a shot of Beam and a Miller Lite. A place where you can satisfy those after-hour cravings for some top-shelf bar food. That’s exactly the type of place that brothers Caleb and Levi Roye hope their new “neighborhood lounge,” Varsity Club, can become.
Located at 319 Delaware in the River Market, Varsity Club is a 1970s-inspired cocktail bar. The Royes both have experience at some of our favorite Kansas City drink spots, including The Campground, Swordfish Tom’s, Hillsiders, The W, and The Mercury Room. When the two decided to go in together on a new concept, they settled on a theme and location pretty quickly. “We both love craft cocktails, but we’ve spent so much time in upscale cocktail bars that we tend to prefer the atmosphere of dive bars,” Caleb says. “We wanted to bring the neighborhood feel you get somewhere like Strawberry Hill to a new location, and the River Market seemed like the perfect fit.”
The Royes had the idea and the drinks covered, but they still wanted to get a final piece of the puzzle in place. They ran the concept by their buddy Matt Chapman—one of the owners of food pop-up favorite Disco Burger—and Chapman knew that Varsity Club was something he wanted to be a part of. Disco Burger will have a permanent residence at Varsity Club, serving up their small-but-mighty menu—smash burgers, specialty hot dogs, etc.—to complement the bar’s cocktails and other drinks.
So, what sets Varsity Club’s craft cocktails apart? For one, they’re trying to step away from the over-complex obscurity that many cocktail bars tend toward. “We still want to explore new and interesting combinations with our drinks,” Levi says. “We just don’t want to force people to Google four different ingredients just to understand what they’re ordering.”
Photo by Darren Carter
This results in early favorites like the Grilled Olive Martini, lending a distinct spin on the classic sophisticated drink, and the Vodka Energy—vodka Red Bull made with Blanc Vermouth for a slightly more enlightened age. If you really want the Varsity Club experience, the Royes recommend the Bangarang—a choose-your-own-spirit drink that features a housemade pear-citrus soda, served in a branded plastic cup. One of the Royes claims Irish Whiskey as their go-to Bangarang spirit, while the other opts for mezcal. They both agree the rum is the sleeper option, but “literally anything works well, depending on what you’re feeling.”
Another drink the Royes are excited about is still being workshopped but is almost ready. “The Spaghett has been a crushable summer fave for those in the know for a long time,” Levi says. “As far as we know, we’ll be the first bar in Kansas City to have this simple but delicious drink on draft.” Typically, a Spaghett is made by drinking part of a Miller High Life, then replacing the missing few ounces with Aperol and lemon juice. Varsity Club will have that ideal ratio ready on tap at all times—the perfect porch-pounder to enjoy alongside a Disco Burger special.
Photo by Darren Carter
All told, Varsity Club’s staff will sling a menu of standards and favorites—about 6–10—that will be on the menu at all times alongside their half dozen or so proprietary drinks. Of course, they’ll also have a selection of taps and canned beers on hand. “We want Varsity Club to be a place where any and all types of people can find a place to relax, build stronger friendships, and have a good time,” Caleb says.
Varsity Club will seat about 50 people inside, with room for another two dozen or so on the patio. The entire spot is being built new and, as of this writing, has yet to open its doors as the team waits for their final permits to come through. “July at the absolute latest,” is the plan, according to the Royes, and they’ll be open five days a week. They’ll have weekend lunch and be open late, so there is plenty of opportunity to go try a Bangarang for yourself. Keep an eye on their Instagram for more news about their opening, and save us a spot at the bar.
Varsity Club is located at 319 Delaware Street, Kansas City, MO 64105 in the River Market.
