Photo: www.grinderspizza.com.
Laying claim to land in both Missouri and Kansas, Kansas City might conjure up thoughts of boring grasslands or Midwestern conservatism. But with nearly a half million residents in the Missouri side's city limits alone (making it the Show Me State's largest city), Kansas City is certainly more metropolis than cornfield. And at Grinders, patrons can expect a less-than-conservative draft selection and some not-so-Midwestern fare.
Just under five years ago, Grinders opened with the plan to offer residents of KC a restaurant/bar with an East coast flair. Both owners were from Pennsylvania (one from Philadelphia, one from Pittsburgh) and they planned to serve up cheesesteaks and New York-style pizza.
"We wanted a place that would be friendly to everybody that came in," says owner Anton Kotar. "No class barriers." Even money wasn't an obstacle: "If we could just make it break even, we'd be happy."
Kotar and his partner had never run a restaurant. "He's an artist by trade and I'm a contractor," Kotar admits, retelling the story of their troublesome first few months. But from the brink of going out of business, they turned Grinders into one of Kansas City's most popular destinations.
Read more about Grinders and see the current draft list after the jump...
Just under five years ago, Grinders opened with the plan to offer residents of KC a restaurant/bar with an East coast flair. Both owners were from Pennsylvania (one from Philadelphia, one from Pittsburgh) and they planned to serve up cheesesteaks and New York-style pizza.
"We wanted a place that would be friendly to everybody that came in," says owner Anton Kotar. "No class barriers." Even money wasn't an obstacle: "If we could just make it break even, we'd be happy."
Kotar and his partner had never run a restaurant. "He's an artist by trade and I'm a contractor," Kotar admits, retelling the story of their troublesome first few months. But from the brink of going out of business, they turned Grinders into one of Kansas City's most popular destinations.
Read more about Grinders and see the current draft list after the jump...









