Voo Lounge is downtown KC’s newest piano bar
Photo by Anna Petrow
Voo, a “new” piano bar and lounge, has opened in the historic Hotel Muehlebach building at 12th and Baltimore in downtown Kansas City. Thursdays through Sundays, Voo serves creative cocktails and food alongside resident pianist Will O’Keys.
The lounge originally opened as part of the Hotel Muehlebach in 1915 by George Muehlebach of the Muehlebach Beer Company. The first of many names the lounge is storied to have is Rendezvous–now lending a playful abbreviation to the current name, Voo. After changing hands and themes throughout the 20th century, the street-level space on Baltimore has sat empty since the early 1980s, only used occasionally as overflow space for events held on the now-Marriott-owned property.
Photo by Anna Petrow
Sourcing local talent and ingredients
When Marriott Downtown leadership decided to revamp the space, they knew that supporting local businesses throughout the process was crucial for the Kansas City community.
Derek McCann, Managing Director of Kansas City Marriott Downtown, says, “We get to give back to the community and support the local businesses, from the film on the windows to the bar sourcing, things like that. We utilize multiple local businesses- it’s just the right thing to do. I learned very quickly how important it is to support local. I came from Ashville, and it’s similar, but Kansas City takes it to a different level.”
Photo by Anna Petrow
Sourcing efforts can be found behind the bar, as well. Kansas City-based spirits include bottles from J. Rieger & Co., Lifted Spirits, and Restless Spirits. Six local beers are on tap–currently featuring City Barrel, Torn Label, Logboat Brewing Co., Stockyards Brewing Co., Cinder Block Brewery, and Transparent Brewing Company.
That curated collection comes from someone with a history in the industry. Allison Korn, General Manager of Voo, has a wealth of experience in the Kansas City bar scene. Previously, Korn was the bar manager at Fred P. Ott’s on the Plaza for six years and created cocktail menus for Westport hotspots Char Bar, Mickey’s Hideaway, Port Fonda, and Meat Mitch in Leawood. Korn was voted Best Bartender through The Pitch in 2021 while at Mickey’s Hideaway.
Even veterans keep an open mind and learn from others, especially when they happen to know a semi-finalist for a James Beard Award.
Korn says, “There are so many great cocktail people around here. Jay Sanders from Drastic Measures has been a big inspiration of mine. He was a big help through my whole process, actually. When I found out that I was opening this place, I showed up at Drastic with a pad with pages of questions. I love the way that he runs his business, his cocktail menu.”
The Voo experience
According to Korn, a standout cocktail on the menu is Garden Party. The drink is close to a savory margarita.
Korn says, “It’s a kind of a pizza-margarita cocktail, with an olive oil wash tequila and a clarified tomato jam, which I made with bell peppers, dill, basil, and red peppers. Plus lime juice and garnished with a dehydrated tomato.”
Other memorable menu features include the Rendezvous, a sweet and tart gin cocktail with a unique cone garnish filled with housemade blueberry whipped cream; Room for Dessert, which is a matcha-citrus cocktail topped with toasted orange blossom meringue; and deviled eggs with cajun marinated mini shrimp.
A grand piano is placed near the middle of the lounge floor. Resident pianist Will O’Keys has over a decade of experience and over 750 songs in his repertoire. He is a former orchestral percussionist and Broadway touring drummer. The energy and humor radiating from the entertainer help to set the tone for fun. The lounge has an ornate, vintage look, but the cocktails are playful, the music is diverse, and the atmosphere is anything but stuffy.
Guests can choose from 6 p.m. or 9 p.m. seating times and select from a menu of cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, and food. Other opportunities here include renting a liquor vault for on-site storage of your preferred libations or purchasing a rotating charity cocktail.
Photo by Anna Petrow
Community in practice
“We’re going to have one liquor vault for at least two, maybe three months, dedicated to a local charity. We’ll have a drink on the menu that’s made from the liquor that’s featured in there for that month. And we’re going to send a very large percentage of the profits from that, if not all the profits from that, to the charity,” says McCann. “For us, it really comes down to community. We have people that have worked for Marriott in this building for 30-35 years. They’re deeply rooted in the community. In the weekly meeting with the senior executives of my hotel, there’s always a discussion about how do we be good neighbors. How do we show the community that we’re grateful that they’ve supported us?”
Photo by Anna Petrow
From the executive level to the bar staff, community is a guiding value. From their discounted industry night each Sunday, to the featured community partners, to the focus on neighborly hospitality from Korn and her staff, Voo aims to be a spot where locals consider themselves regulars. Time will tell if Kansas City chooses to rendezvous here again and again or if it will be viewed as another swanky but corporate hotel bar. Hiring Korn was an astute step in laying a foundation for success.
Voo Lounge is located at 1214 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City, MO 64105. They are open Thursday through Sunday, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Reservations are encouraged. Valet parking is available, as well as five nearby self-parking garages/lots.
