Kelly's Westport Inn

Westport Road at Pennsylvania Avenue
Kansas City, Missouri 64111
(816) 753-9193

Every town has a place where the elite gather for witty conversation over trendy cocktails.

In Kansas City, that place is DEFINITELY not Kelly's

The man behind it all

In February 1947, Randal Kelly, a native of County Clare, Ireland, was hired as a bartender in the establishment then called "Westport Inn". Randal's warm welcomes and hearty personality quickly won his popularity and this had a very positive effect on the business. Within seven months he bought out Leo Ghent, one of the owners. With Art Brock, the other partner, he ran the place until Art died in 1977. In September of that year, the bar was officially named "Kelly's Westport Inn." And it has been the name of the watering hole for many of Westport's and Kansas City's folks ever since.
Randal Kelly's citizenship in Kansas City has been noted for much more than just being proprietor of the saloon on the comer of Westport and Pennsylvania. For his continuing support for the improvement of Westport and the love and respect he had gained from Westport's residents and fellow merchants over the years, Mayor Richard L. Berkley of Kansas City declared March 16, 1984 "Randal Kelly Day.' Indeed, Randal Kelly will always be fondly remembered for his contributions to his community...contributions to its economic development as well as to the aura of good fellowship that still pervades the popular establishment bearing his name.

A place for real people

The famous American impressionist painter, Thomas Hart Benton, once said that he would prefer that his works be displayed "in bawdy houses and saloons" instead of galleries and museums. That way, real people would see his paintings. And Tom knew something about the real people found in a real saloon, because he was a customer of Kelly's Westport Inn.
Today, Kelly's maintains an unpretentious atmosphere where people from all walks feel welcome. That's the way its founder Randal Kelly wanted it. His boys, Pat and Kyle, make sure it stays that way.

An establishment of historic proportions

    The building that Kelly's Westport Inn occupies is, in fact, the oldest in Kansas City built in 1837, it has housed a remarkable array of businesses. Most notably, in the 19th century, the building was a grocery store operated by Albert Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone. As much a saloon keeper as a grocer, Albert catered to the wagon trains as they headed west on the Santa Fe Trail -- which, incidentally, passed right by the front door.
    When Prohibition was repealed en August 11, 1934, a license was issued to dispense liquor at 500 Westport Road, the building's address today. It was issued to "The Wrestlers Inn." The location has been a saloon to this day.
    In honor of its rich and colorful past, the building was designated a national historic landmark in 1959. Think about that. When you operate a public drinking establishment in a national landmark, you want to be careful about making too many changes. It is for this reason that the management requests that you smile when you call this landmark "a dump”.