When popular Strawberry Hill bar Mockingbird Lounge closed unexpectedly in September, patrons were a bit dismayed, but there’s good news on the horizon. The former lounge is being transformed into an intimate tiki bar – The Blue Palm (204 Orchard St., KCK).
“The bones of any great tiki bar are really great drinks, really great service and a really great atmosphere,” says Dan Doty, one of the new bar’s three owners.
Roxie Danner and Houston Defoe, also Blue Palm co-owners, are both seasoned bartenders and owners. Danner has been popping up around KC with her tiki bar pop-up Hellfire Tiki and Defoe previously owned part of Shooter’s Tavern, a bar in North KC.
The Blue Palm will resemble a traditional tiki bar with dark moody lighting, kitschy tropical decor and bartenders who take their job very seriously. For those who visited the Mockingbird Lounge, you’ll remember two large windows flanking the main entrance. Those windows will be blacked out to create a darker, more intimate vibe throughout the bar and patrons will enter through the patio, which will also be getting a makeover.
Doty says the bar will emulate that quintessential immersive quality that tiki bars are known for. The owner trio are shooting for a grand opening by early December.
Currently, tiki bars are few and far between in KC, making The Blue Palm an exciting addition.
