The Wyld Bar and Cafe finds its niche in a space that once held pop-up bars

A new extension of the Apparition/Vignettes pop-up bar team is a permanent “enchanted forest” bar and eatery in KCK.

July 7, 2023

Tyler Schneider,

Wyld Bar. // Photo by Morbid Awakening Photography

Wyld Bar. // Photo by Morbid Awakening Photography

“It should feel magical,” Edward Schmalz—the owner of ReRoll Tavern, as well as its sister venue, Vignettes, and the Apparition family of pop-up bars—says of his team’s newest venture, The Wyld Bar and Cafe (4601 Shawnee Dr.), a planned permanent fixture in KCK that officially opens to the public June 30.

The space that had formerly held such pop-up projects as “Sanderson Sisters & Spirits,” “The Pop Up Before Christmas,” “As You Wish,” and “The Gang Opens a Pop-Up Bar” now presents a mix of non-licensed fantasy elements—an enchanted forest where one can order alcoholic drinks, coffees and teas, dinner, and, yes, an all-day Second Breakfast.

Where the former pop-up entries here featured a small hallway leading into the main area, that structure has now been stripped away to make way for more open space. On the left, Apparition veterans may notice the masterful Colleen King sculpted hobbit door from an early Vignettes’ “Lord of the Drinks” pop-up.

Wyld Bar. // Photo by Morbid Awakening Photography

Mushroom-shaped glasses and decor, along with multiple fairy and butterfly trinkets, sit amidst lanterns, leaves, and thistles—several shelving areas house aesthetically pleasing book stacks and other knick-knacks. A large shelf on the far wall features a number of board games, including two full copies of Catan.

Wyld Bar. // Photo by Morbid Awakening Photography

We walked past a piano and find a booth. Skyelar Rose and Courtney Haid, our bartender and server, respectively, followed what they first believed to be a moth towards one of the light fixtures in the middle of the room. Turns out it was a butterfly, which was pretty on-brand for the place already. Haid was literally wearing a pair of costume fairy/butterfly wings as this happened. We hadn’t even ordered yet, and already it was pretty wild.

The regular cocktail menu, designed yet again by Matthew Smith, includes 18 tiered entries, running between $6 and $13, with other offerings like beer on tap and four specialty shots. Another five cocktails fall under the “Boozy Brunch” category.

My first order was “Rosy Cheeks,” a startingly ginger-fueled gin concoction that includes watermelon habanero shrubbery, ginger beer, and a dash of red wine foam. My party went with “Fawn’s Breath” (whiskey soda with mint) and “Dragon Tails” (whiskey, sweet vermouth, ancho verde liqueur, blood orange firewater bitters, and dried jalapeño).

Smith also designed the food menu, thanks to an ongoing collaboration with the Homesteader in River Market.

The regular dining menu (First Dinner?) features nine options, including a few variations of burgers and chicken sandwiches. It’s somewhat standard pub food fare, but it hits the spot. My friends and I enjoyed our abundant portions of buffalo chicken sandwiches and fries for just about $10.

A major selling point the Wyld looks to expand upon is the “Second Breakfast” menu, which includes 11 hearty options and has three “Pixie Pastries” on deck for those who prefer the lighter fare.

“I don’t even know of any all-day brunch places that exist, so I kind of committed to that,” Schmalz says.

Wyld Bar. // Photo by Morbid Awakening Photography

After eating, we resumed the boozing. A few tables away, two patrons ordered the tall-glassed “Moonrise” (a tequila-based, orange juice, blue curacao, and grenadine mix), which seemed to be a pretty nice bang for one’s buck. I went with the “Siren’s Call” (gin, butterfly pea, blueberry, and ginger beer).

The Wyld will continue to offer one-off and recurring events as the concept develops. On July 15, for example, the space will host 20 pop-up vendors from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m, while retaining its daytime all-ages atmosphere. Other workshops or external event ideas are welcome, as well as literally any feedback or suggestions for the team.

“If you feel like something’s wrong, or you don’t like something, let us know. We want to make it a place that people in that neighborhood really want to hang out at, and whether that means we’re hosting sewing meetups or a wrestling watch party, we’re up for it,” Schmalz says.

The Wyld will be open Monday through Thursday from 4-11 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. – 1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. Like the menu, decor, and event schedule; these hours are subject to change based on demand.

“This is really meant to be kind of a little oasis of calm, magical energy where people can kind of come and have a really good time and make it a hangout,” Schmalz says. “Everything’s moving so fast all the time in our world. We’re like, ‘What if we do a place that was the exact opposite of that—where we could slow the hell down and just chill and time passes’?”

We never did find the butterfly.

All photos by Morbid Awakening Photography