The Marinello

The Marinello is a gift and local-goods shop on the west side of Independence Square at 208–212 W Lexington Ave, owned by Bree and Travis Gensler as part of their Street Building project and named after a 1930s business that once occupied the space.¹²

Description

The Marinello is a retail shop of unique gifts and locally handcrafted goods on the west side of Independence Square, occupying part of the historic Street Building at 208–212 W Lexington Ave. It is one of three ventures the Gensler family runs in the restored building, alongside The Sentinel Room whiskey bar and Three Trails Lofts lodging. The shop takes its name from a 1930s business that previously occupied the space, and functions as the storefront face of the family’s building-stewardship project on the Square.¹²³

Ownership and history

Ownership

Period	Owner / Operator	Notes
c. 2020s → present	Bree and Travis Gensler (owner-operated)	Opened as the first of three Street Building ventures, before The Sentinel Room (March 2024).3

Owner background

Bree Gensler was born and raised in Independence, with family ties spanning multiple generations on and around the historic Square. Travis Gensler operated an insurance agency in downtown Independence for 13 years before the family turned to the Lexington Avenue building. The couple purchased the building around 2020 to preserve the historic commercial space, opening The Marinello retail shop before converting an adjacent unit into The Sentinel Room in March 2024.³

Menu

Not applicable — retail gift and local-goods store.

Links

• themarinello.com
• The Street Building
• Independence Square Association profile

Sources

Footnotes

1. The Marinello — official website. https://themarinello.com/ — Asserts: gift and local-goods shop; unique gifts and locally handcrafted items; Independence, MO. ↩ ↩²

2. The Street Building — official site. https://streetbuilding.org/ — Asserts: The Marinello located at 208–212 W Lexington Ave; owned by Travis & Bree Gensler; operates alongside The Sentinel Room and Three Trails Lofts as part of the Street Building project on Historic Independence Square. ↩ ↩²

3. Startland News — “How Independence’s new speakeasy vibes tie into the ‘goats and rabbits’ of Kansas City’s past” (April 2024). https://startlandnews.com/2024/04/sentinel-independence/ — Asserts: Bree Gensler born and raised in Independence with generations of family on the Square; Travis ran an Independence insurance agency 13 years; building purchased ~2020; The Marinello retail shop opened before The Sentinel Room (March 2024); shop named after a 1930s business in the space. ↩ ↩² ↩³