As the night progressed, the drinks continued to pour and the conversations kept flowing at Gilhouly’s. However, the sense of time slipping away was palpable as Sunday night crept on.
As the last night at Gilhouly’s approached, the vending company had already retrieved the pool table and jukebox from the Volker bar. The remaining tables and chairs would soon be loaded into the U-Haul parked outside on Bell Street, all set for the final move. The last call, whenever it may be, would truly be the last as Gilhouly’s was shutting down for good.
Simone leaned against the bar and confided, “I’ve been given a midnight deadline to leave.” She had attempted to schedule a meeting to discuss the situation, but it seemed her efforts fell on deaf ears. “I was willing to hear them out and have a conversation. If they didn’t agree with me, that’s fine, but at least we could have talked it through. However, it seems they weren’t interested.”
Simone was talking about the Jang family who is in possession of the real estate on the southern section of the block on 39th Street between Bell and Genesee streets. This comprises of 1721 W. 39th St., which has been Gilhouly’s home since 1995. The bar was initially called Huck Finn’s and was a corner bar purchased by brothers Kenny and Dennis Daub. They later renamed it Gilhouly’s, inspired by a character in the John Ford film “Donovan’s Reef,” spelled “Gilhooley” in the film.
For a significant portion of its existence, Gilhouly’s has been an Irish pub under the ownership of Italians. Simone took over the establishment from his brother-in-law, C.J. Mandacina, and inherited the lease approximately eight years ago.
Simone’s main point of contact for the property was Jennifer Jang. Unfortunately, Jennifer passed away in 2022, and her family members have since taken over the management of the real estate holdings.
Simone shared with me that Jennifer used to be a very involved landlord who took care of any issues that came up, whether it was related to water or A/C. She would personally come by to ensure everything was resolved. However, Simone has not seen the new landlords around and recently received a notice stating that her lease will not be renewed.
As of Monday, there was no comment from Jang’s family as they could not be reached.
Simone made an attempt to negotiate an alternative deal through Block Real Estate, the company responsible for managing the property. He proposed the idea of taking on a new partner or selling the bar to a new owner but unfortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful.
Simone received a message from Block on a Saturday around 4:30 p.m., claiming that he owed two months of rent. Despite this, Simone asserted that he did not owe any back rent. Block offered to accept the bar’s furnishings as payment, but Simone was not willing to comply. He expressed his willingness to sell the TVs, coolers, tables, and other bar equipment to someone else. However, he refused to let Block steal the items, especially since he had invested $200,000 to purchase the business.
Simone proudly pointed out that the bar was 60 years old as he knocked on the wood. He mentioned that he had resurfaced it when he bought the place and was willing to go to great lengths to keep it intact, even if it meant taking it apart with hammers and nails.
According to Simone, a Block agent informed him a couple of months ago that the Jangs had a prospective tenant who was keen on opening a bar in their property. However, they did not show any interest in purchasing Simone’s liquor license. It’s worth noting that Gilhouly’s has a rare and valuable tavern license in Kansas City, which means that they are not obliged to serve food, and the city issues them very sparingly.
Simone explained that a new owner of the property would need to install ADA-compliant bathrooms and a kitchen, which was not required of them as they were grandfathered in. It’s important to note that the space is only 1,100 square feet, and it seems that prospective buyers may not fully comprehend the extent of the renovations required.
Unfortunately, a comment was not provided by Block Real Estate upon request.
Simone has been exploring the possibility of launching a venture in either the Crossroads or the Garment District, but he hasn’t decided on the next course of action yet.
According to him, the neighborhood used to be more charming with smaller establishments like Bob Wasabi and D.B. Cooper’s (which is now closed). He feels that the recent commercialization of the area has taken away the local atmosphere. However, he acknowledges that it’s ultimately up to the customers to determine the direction of the neighborhood.
The bartender shouted over the counter towards the other end of the bar.
“Hey Joe, when are we closing tonight?” she asked.
Simone shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I’m not sure. I suppose we’ll close up shop once we’ve finished cleaning out this place.”