This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Grinders is a Crossroads Arts District pizza-and-sandwich institution founded in 2004 by Kansas City artist and sculptor Jeff “Stretch” Rumaner, nationally known after a feature on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. On 18th Street it occupies two adjacent storefronts under one brand — Grinders (bar/pizza side, 417 E 18th) and Grinders West (deli/soup/salad side, 415 E 18th) — both opening onto the Grinders KC outdoor stage / venue complex on Locust.

Locations (Crossroads — one brand, two storefronts + venue)

LabelRoleAddressNotes
Grinders (XRDS)Bar / pizza / main dining417 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108Official site primary address; Toast ordering lists this storefront.1
Grinders WestDeli / soups / salads / sandwiches415 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108Immediate neighbor of 417; Yelp listing titled “Grinders West” uses 415 E 18th.2 Historically the deli-focused side (soups, salads, deli sandwiches).3
Grinders KCLive music / outdoor stage1826 Locust StBoth 18th Street storefronts open their backs onto the venue/patio complex.[^jack] Venue opened ~2006; outdoor stage area ~2008.4

Do not invent other door numbers.

Description

Grinders is a pizza and sandwich restaurant in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, founded in 2004 by artist, sculptor, and restaurateur Jeff “Stretch” Rumaner. The 417 E 18th storefront (branded “Grinders XRDS” / Grinders by STRETCH) is the bar-and-pizza side: New York-style pizza, Philly cheesesteaks, Death Wings®, and a clublike dining room. Next door at 415 E 18th, Grinders West has historically run as the deli-oriented room — soups, salads, and sandwiches — under the same ownership and phone line.32

The two storefronts are physically separate but joined by the exterior block frontage; both open onto the large Grinders KC outdoor stage and patio complex behind them on Locust Street.[^jack] National exposure came via a feature on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.

Ownership and history

Jeff “Stretch” Rumaner opened the original Grinders in the Crossroads in 2004. Per the restaurant’s own account, Rumaner’s earliest food jobs were at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in the Philadelphia area and at a McDonald’s in high school; he later enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute and earned an MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, building sculpture by day and cooking/bartending by night.

Rumaner expanded the brand over the following years:

  • Grinders West — opened next door (415 E 18th), focused on soups, salads, and deli sandwiches.32
  • Grinders Stonewall — Lenexa, Kansas (10240 Pflumm Rd).
  • Grinders High Noon — opened October 2015 in the former High Noon Saloon & Brewery in Leavenworth, Kansas. Now CLOSED (Yelp listing marked closed, updated Feb 2026). Grinders Stonewall (Lenexa, KS) remains operating as of June 2026.

The flagship celebrated its 20-year anniversary in September 2024 with an all-day Crossroads event featuring live music (including Quiet Riot) and BBQ. Rumaner has remained the owner since the 2004 opening.

Last verified: 2026-06-17 · Source: Grinders Pizza official site, KSHB-41 (NBC KC), Tripadvisor reviews · URL(s): https://grinderspizza.com/, https://grinderspizza.com/dine-in-menu-2/, https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/grinders-pizza-offers-taste-of-philly-in-kansas-city · Confidence: Medium (official-site menu copy confirmed via search excerpts and press; the official menu page itself blocks automated fetch, so individual prices were not captured)

The flagship’s own line: “New York Style Pizza, Philly Cheesesteaks, Death Wings®, & other tasty morsels.”[4]

Signatures

  • The “Stretch” Philly Cheesesteak — the namesake cheesesteak built by Philadelphia-born owner Jeff “Stretch” Rumaner; a riff on the classic combining steak with corned beef[5][6]
  • Death Wings® — the trademarked “world famous” wings, offered across an escalating heat ladder: Wimpy → BRW → Molten → Near Death → Death Nectar[4]

Pizza (New York style)

  • House cheese pizza — sold during a “Pie By Time” happy-hour promotion (the time on the clock sets the price of a house cheese pie, regular-priced toppings extra), roughly 6pm–8pm[1][4]
  • Bengal Tiger — a creative specialty pie slicked with pesto sauce and studded with tandoori chicken, crabmeat, and hearts of palm[6]
  • Loaded Potato Pizza — white sauce base with sliced potatoes, bacon, Cheez Whiz, and scallions[6]

Cheesesteaks, grinders & sandwiches

  • Philly cheesesteaks — authentic-style cheesesteaks are a core draw alongside the pizza[4][5]
  • Grinders / deli sandwiches — the namesake oversized “grinder” subs plus a deli-sandwich lineup (the adjacent Grinders West outpost historically anchored soups, salads, and deli sandwiches)[4]
  • Smash’d burgers — griddled smash-style burgers[4]
  • Loaded Hot Dawgs — eight varieties, available roughly 11am–8pm[1]

Salads & sides

  • Fresh salads — a rotating salad selection rounds out the menu[4]

Prices not captured from a verifiable source as of this verification date — flag any price before publishing

See also

Sources

  1. Grinders Pizza — “About STRETCH” (founder background, list of four Grinders locations, Grinders KC venue 2006, DDD feature, social handles) — https://grinderspizza.com/about-stretch/ — accessed 2026-05-30
  2. Fox4KC — “Iconic Crossroads pizza place celebrating 20 years” (2004 founding, Stretch Rumaner owner, 2024 anniversary, 2008 venue) — https://fox4kc.com/news/entertainment/iconic-crossroads-pizza-place-celebrating-20-years-on-saturday/amp/ — accessed 2026-05-30
  3. Feast Magazine — “Stretch/Jeffrey Rumaner on What’s Next for Grinders” (founder full name, expansion to Grinders West, Stonewall, High Noon 2015) — https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/stretch-jeffrey-rumaner-on-whats-next-for-grinders/article_845017fc-800e-11e6-a7f9-bf777d1ed4d1.html — accessed 2026-05-30
  4. Grinders Pizza — official site / dine-in menu (NY-style pizza, Philly cheesesteaks, Death Wings® and the Wimpy→BRW→Molten→Near Death→Death Nectar heat ladder, smash’d burgers, deli sandwiches, fresh salads, “Pie By Time” cheese-pizza promo) — https://grinderspizza.com/, https://grinderspizza.com/dine-in-menu-2/ — accessed 2026-06-17 (menu copy confirmed via search excerpts; menu page returns 403 to automated fetch)
  1. KSHB-41 (NBC Kansas City) — “Grinders Pizza offers taste of Philly in Kansas City” (Philly-born owner “Stretch” Rumaner, Philly cheesesteaks as signature draw) — https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/grinders-pizza-offers-taste-of-philly-in-kansas-city — accessed 2026-06-17
  2. Tripadvisor / CookingMaven feature — “best Philly cheesesteak’s in KC” review + Grinders profile (The “Stretch” Philly with steak + corned beef; Bengal Tiger and Loaded Potato specialty pies) — https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g44535-d776164-Reviews-Grinders_Pizza-Kansas_City_Missouri.html, https://cookingmaven.com/2021/08/26/grinders-pizza/ — accessed 2026-06-17

Verification

Drafted 2026-05-30 from web research; 3 sources (official + 2 independent). Verified: 2004 founding, founder Jeff “Stretch” Rumaner, Crossroads flagship, DDD feature, Grinders West / Stonewall / High Noon expansion, Grinders KC venue (2006). Unverified: whether base-data “Crossroads KC” equals the Grinders KC venue (flagged); current operating status of Grinders West as of 2026.

Footnotes

  1. Grinders Pizza official site — primary Crossroads address 417 E 18th St — accessed 2026-08-10. ↩

  2. Yelp — “Grinders West,” 415 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 — asserts: separate business listing for Grinders West at 415 E 18th; same phone (816) 472-5454; website grinderspizza.com. Accessed 2026-08-10 via search result (do not invent door numbers — this is the sourced West address). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Feast Magazine — Stretch/Jeffrey Rumaner expansion piece (Grinders West as next-door deli-oriented expansion) ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Fox4KC — 20-year anniversary coverage (venue chronology) ↩

More from the Registry

In Crossroads See all →

More Pizza in KC See all →

See also

Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/grinders-grinders-west · record updated 2026-08-10