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

an upscale, design-driven cocktail bar on the West Plaza at 4808 Roanoke Pkwy, opened August 21, 2017. Conceived and designed by Kansas City native and internationally known stadium architect David Manica (MANICA Architecture) and operated by the Liquid Minded Concepts team, led by bar director Brock Schulte (later also of verdigris). The Monarch is widely regarded as the bar that elevated KC’s high-end cocktail scene and has earned national honors. Address correction: master data listed 4526 State Line Rd — that is wrong; the verified address is 4808 Roanoke Pkwy, KC MO 64112 (see Verification status detail).

Description

The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge — commonly The Monarch Bar — is an upscale, design-forward cocktail bar on the West Plaza. It was conceived as Kansas City’s first true luxury drinking establishment, and its design is the work of owner David Manica, a Kansas City–based architect better known internationally for designing major sports venues.12

The room is the concept’s signature: an Italian-marble centerpiece bar, a showpiece terrace, and roughly 1,500 handmade plexiglass butterflies suspended overhead. A separate private room, the Parlor (also styled “the Parlour”), serves rare spirits and wines to a small number of guests via its own entrance. The service model is deliberately theatrical — a “remote service well” handles much of the cocktail prep so bartenders at the marble bar can focus on guest interaction and showmanship.1

The cocktail program riffs on the monarch butterfly’s migration: classic cocktails are reimagined to reflect the flavor profiles of the latitudes and longitudes the butterfly travels.3 Main-bar cocktails were priced roughly $12–$20 at opening, with Parlor cocktails ranging $30–$40+, positioning the bar firmly at the high end of the KC market.1

Ownership and history

The Monarch was created by David Manica, founder and president of MANICA Architecture. Manica is a Kansas City–area native and a 1994 University of Kansas School of Architecture graduate; before founding his own firm in 2007 he was a lead designer at HOK Sport on projects including London’s O2 Arena, the new Wembley Stadium, and the Beijing National Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”). His firm’s portfolio includes Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders), Chase Center (Golden State Warriors, San Francisco), and the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar (2022 FIFA World Cup final venue).45 The Monarch is, in effect, a hometown passion project from one of the world’s most prominent stadium architects.

To run the bar, Manica brought in the Liquid Minded Concepts team. Three of its managing partners joined The Monarch full-time at opening: Brock Schulte as bar director (overseeing the cocktail menu, recipe development, and spirits education; formerly of the Rieger), Mark Church as general manager (formerly Grünauer and Julian), and Kenny Cohrs as service/hospitality director (formerly Jax and Manifesto). A fourth Liquid Minded partner, Brandon Cummins, consulted on the launch. Chef Theresia Ota (formerly Jax Fish & Oyster House) ran the food program.26

The bar opened to the public on August 21, 2017.3 The same Manica-led ownership later backed verdigris, a second upscale cocktail bar — not in Kansas City proper but across the state line at 5245 W 116th Pl in the Park Place development in Leawood, Kansas, opened June 2020 — with Schulte again involved on the beverage side, making The Monarch the anchor of a small, KC-metro-rooted upscale-bar family rather than part of any national chain.47

Independence: No outside or non-KC corporate parent, franchise, or institutional owner has been identified. The Monarch is privately, locally owned (Manica) with a KC-based operating partnership (Liquid Minded Concepts). Absence of any non-KC investment is consistent with the public record but, as with any privately held venture, the full cap table is not public — treat the strict “no outside capital” claim as ****.

Last verified: 2026-07-24 · Source: official menu PDFs published at themonarchbar.com/menus — “The Monarch Cocktail Menu” (Spring–Summer 2026 edition), “Kitchen Menu,” and “Wine, Beer, & Spirits List” (revision date June 12, 2026)8 · URL(s): https://www.themonarchbar.com/menus (PDF links on page) · Confidence: High (full official capture; seasonal menu — items rotate by edition)

Upscale cocktail bar + lounge. West Plaza, 4808 Roanoke Pkwy. Hours per official site: Mon–Thu 4pm–12am; Fri–Sat 4pm–1:30am. Happy hour Mon–Fri 4–7pm (30% off small plates). A 3% surcharge applies to credit-card payments.8

The Migration — Monarch Originals (Spring–Summer 2026)

Signature list mapped to monarch-butterfly migration flight paths; each cocktail carries the latitude/longitude of its inspiration. One “Cocktail of Distinction” per flight path.8

Mid-America — “Through the Heartland”

  • Big Country Breakfast — a smoked old fashioned in lieu of breakfast; Elijah Craig Single Barrel, Kings coffee whiskey, bacon-fat wash, pure maple, black walnut bitters, applewood smoke — $178
  • Blush Breeze — refreshing, crisp lychee highball; Monarch gin, limoncello, lychee, lemon, soda, peach boba — $168
  • Before & After — bright, slightly spicy margarita with sweet cantaloupe; blanco tequila + mezcal espadín, Ancho Reyes, Thai basil, mint, cilantro — $178
  • Lumière (Cocktail of Distinction) — crystal-clear espresso martini; espresso-washed Belvedere, white cacao, caramel, vanilla air — $208

The Pacific Coastlines — “The Ring of Fire”

  • Silk Road — decadent highball of contrasting flavors; Monarch rye, Midori, Strega, lemon, grapefruit, cardamom — $188
  • Open Water — “nostalgia personified”; Monarch blanco tequila, Baja cordial, falernum, lemon, lime — $168
  • Piccadilly — gin, honey, and Earl Grey in harmony; Gray Whale gin, Capurro acholado, limoncello, fino sherry, strawberry tanghulu — $208
  • Stella Montis (Cocktail of Distinction) — whiskey sour bursting with fruit, crafted in the spirit of the redwoods; Monarch bourbon blend, Redwood Empire, lemongrass, watermelon, mint, aquafaba — $228

Trans-Atlantic Crossing — “The Old World”

  • Louisiana Purchase — high-proof Brooklyn-style cocktail served as cold as it gets; Elijah Craig Single Barrel, French rouge vermouth, Bigallet China-China, apple and iron perfume — $188
  • Carriage Club — creamy berries paired with wine and vodka; Tito’s, mixed berry-mascarpone, Sauternes, claret, lemon — $178
  • Lilac Butterfly — velvety Biscoff-and-lavender sour; Bols genever, Biscoff vodka, honey, lemon, vanilla foam — $178
  • Marseille Whispers (Cocktail of Distinction) — savory, experimental take on a sazerac; Hennessy VSOP, Suau 25-year, Willett 4-year, Ben Holladay BiB, kvass demerara, black garlic — $288

Floribbean — “The Easy Life”

  • Hula Heresy — rums flirt with tropical fruit and spice; “a Mai Tai worth remembering”; coconut-macadamia orgeat, pineapple, pomegranate — $188
  • Gunpowder & Sugarcane — a Kingston Negroni sour with notes of hibiscus and vanilla; Probitas, Clairin Communal, Campari, Cappelletti, Bonal — $188
  • Orange You Glad — inspired by nostalgic banana confections; Monarch rum, coconut, lime, passionfruit, Monarch banana soda — $168
  • Irie (Cocktail of Distinction) — rum old fashioned with an island spin; Monarch rum, Smith & Cross, rotating Foursquare, papaya, falernum, habanero — $208

Atlantic Coastlines — “An Appalachian Spring”

  • Mayahuel — the classic El Presidente with a smoky finish; mezcal espadín, sotol, Alma Finca, extra-dry vermouth, pineapple — $188
  • Islay Amber — scotch, spice, and ginger suspended in a breath of red wine; Compass Box, Bruichladdich Classic Laddie, Laird’s apple brandy, pinot noir — $188
  • Island Vice — a Monarch classic with a tropical twist; Monarch vodka, sugar cane, pineapple, mango, chamoy air — $168
  • Pale Rider (Cocktail of Distinction) — silken malt and white-chocolate rye carry this Brooklyn dressed in bitters and citrus; Nikka Coffey Malt, white-chocolate-dipped rum cherry — $228

Monarch Classic Cocktails

  • Porn Star Martini — Exit Strategy vodka, Chinola passion fruit, vanilla, lime, prosecco sidecar — $168
  • The Monarch Margarita — reposado tequila, naranja, agave, lime — $16 (+$4 Grand Marnier “Cadillac” float; +$1 spicy)8
  • Old Fashioned — Monarch bourbon blend, demerara, aromatic bitters, rum cherry — $168
  • Negroni — Nolet’s Silver, Rieger Private Stock gin, Campari, Cocchi Torino — $178
  • The Monarch 75 — vodka, lemon, clementine, blood orange, sparkling rosé — $178
  • Cold Brew Martini — Exit Strategy vodka, Caffè Borghetti, cold brew, demerara — $178
  • Gimlet — Rieger Private Stock gin, lime cordial — $168
  • The Monarch Martini — Grey Goose or Bombay Sapphire, house brine or dry, truffle chips, blue-cheese olives, cocktail caviar — $248
  • Hotel Nacional (Classic Cocktail of Distinction) — Appleton Estate 12-year Rare Casks, Foursquare Touchstone, apricot liqueur, pineapple, lime — $268

Monarch Mocktails

  • Kaleidoscope Skies — Aplós Ease, lemon, mineral water, seasonal air — $148
  • Aplós Mandora Negroni — mandora orange, bitter quassia, sarsaparilla, oakwood — $138
  • Aplós Ume Spritz — ume plum, oroblanco grapefruit, white tea, sea buckthorn — $148
  • Flutter Flight — Aplós Arise, pineapple, lime, demerara — $148
  • Nitro Cold Brew — $10 (+$2 vanilla foam whip)8
  • Ven a la Playa — aloe, coconut water, pomegranate, lime, soda — $138

The Kitchen (“If we’re open, the kitchen is open!”)

  • Torres Chips (GF, V) — choice of black truffle or ibérico ham — $88
  • Baked Elote Cheese Dip (GF, V) — roasted corn, jalapeño, tajín, cilantro, Yoli Tortilleria tortilla chips — $128
  • The Hot Dog — Wiener Kitchen beef frank, chipotle aioli, fried onion, relish — $138
  • Barbacoa Bánh Mì Sliders — braised beef, pickled carrot and daikon, aioli, cilantro — $158
  • Loaded Potato Flatbread — russet potato, pancetta, ranch cream sauce, cheddar and Monterey cheese, chives — $258
  • Cheese & Charcuterie — rotating meats, cheese, fig jam, whole-grain mustard, BBQ almonds, sourdough flatbread crackers — MKT8
  • Brownie Sundae (V) — dark chocolate brownie, vanilla-bean gelato, salted caramel — $148

Wine, Beer & Spirits (list revision June 12, 2026)

  • Wine by the glass $12–30 / bottles $48–380 — whites/rosé (J Vineyards pinot gris, Whispering Angel), reds (BloodRoot pinot noir; Chappellet Signature cab $195/btl), Champagne through Dom Pérignon 2015 ($380)8
  • Beer & seltzer $5–9 — Miller High Life $5 to Boulevard Tank 7 $9; local KC pours (Tank 7, Space Camper hazy IPA)8
  • Spirits library by the pour ~$13–84 — deep bourbon/rye program with Monarch-exclusive single barrels (1792, Elijah Craig, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, Weller 107, Wilderness Trail, Rhum JM 21yr); scotch to Macallan 18yr ($84); large agave, sugarcane (20+ Foursquare marks), and Japanese whisky sections8

The Parlour: private rare-spirits/wine room continues (own director credited on the 2026 menu); its separate menu is not published online —8

Menu-credits note (2026): the Spring–Summer 2026 cocktail book’s credits page lists Katy & Jameson Emling as Owners and David & Noelle Manica as Founders & Designers, with GM Cameron Coronado, head bartender Michael Hall, and Parlour director Matt Slaney — an ownership/team picture that differs from the 2017-era record in this page’s Ownership section.8

Full menus + reservations: themonarchbar.com

See also

Sources

Status verification

Footnotes

  1. The Pitch — “What happens inside the luxury-minded Monarch … may well affect KC’s whole cocktail scene.” https://www.thepitchkc.com/what-happens-inside-the-luxuryminded-monarch-opening-this-week-on-the-plaza-may-well-affect-kcs-whole-cocktail-scene/ — owner/architect David Manica; design (Italian-marble bar, ~1,500 plexiglass butterflies, private Parlor, remote service well); Liquid Minded Concepts team (Schulte/Cohrs/Church, chef Theresia Ota); pricing ($12–$20 main bar, $30–$40+ Parlor); positions Monarch as KC’s first true luxury cocktail bar. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Feast Magazine — “The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge Taps Liquid Minded Concepts Team to Run Operations” (April 12, 2017). https://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/kansas_city_news/article_e76ce84c-1a23-11e7-bbd0-7b5b31435426.html — David Manica (president/owner, MANICA Architecture) is the force behind The Monarch; Liquid Minded Concepts managing partners Brock Schulte (bar manager), Mark Church (GM), Kenny Cohrs (service manager) join full-time; Brandon Cummins consults. ↩ ↩2

  3. Feast Magazine — “The Highly Awaited Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge Opens Aug. 21 in Kansas City” (2017). https://www.feastmagazine.com/the-highly-awaited-monarch-cocktail-bar-lounge-opens-aug-21-in-kansas-city/article_cdad5608-8445-11e7-b6dc-b7516f66ab11.html — public opening date August 21, 2017; migration-themed cocktail concept (flavors mapped to the monarch butterfly’s migratory latitudes/longitudes); 4808 Roanoke Pkwy, West Plaza. ↩ ↩2

  4. Web search synthesis (Wikipedia “Manica Architecture”; Raiders.com; FOX4 KC; CLAD) — David Manica: KC-area native, 1994 KU School of Architecture grad; founded MANICA Architecture (2007); prior HOK Sport lead designer (O2 Arena, new Wembley, Beijing National Stadium); portfolio includes Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders), Chase Center (Golden State Warriors), Lusail Iconic Stadium (2022 World Cup); also involved with KC cocktail bar Verdigris. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manica_Architecture; https://www.raiders.com/news/allegiant-stadium-architect-david-manica-to-light-the-al-davis-memorial-torch; https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-city-sports-architect-revels-in-raiders-stadium-design/ ↩ ↩2

  5. MANICA Architecture official site. https://manica.global/; project page https://manica.global/page/the-monarch-bar — firm portfolio and The Monarch Bar listed among Manica’s projects. ↩

  6. Feast Magazine — “The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge Brings an All-Star Team Together in Kansas City” (2017). https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/the-monarch-cocktail-bar-lounge-brings-an-all-star-team-together-in-kansas-city/article_4f126f18-73a6-11e7-8460-2386f0cafcbf.html — team backgrounds: Schulte (Rieger), Cohrs (Jax, Manifesto), Church (Grünauer, Julian), Ota (Jax). ↩

  7. Sibling-venue location, added 2026-07-31 (Compiler). Verdigris is at 5245 W 116th Pl, Leawood, Kansas 66211, in the Park Place development — in the KC metro but not in Kansas City. Per its own site https://verdigrisbar.com/contact; Feast Magazine, “Kansas City Restaurant Openings and Closings: June 2020” (Jun 30, 2020), which lists the June 2020 opening and the address as “5245 West 116th Place, Leawood, Kansas” https://www.feastmagazine.com/kansas-city/article_3e650f76-bafd-11ea-91b9-b384049f63cb.html; and MANICA Architecture’s own project page, which gives the location as Leawood, Kansas and the project as completed 2020 https://manica.global/page/verdigris. Asserts: the previous wording “a second elegant KC cocktail bar” was imprecise — a reader would reasonably take it to mean Kansas City proper. See verdigris. ↩

  8. The Monarch Bar — official menu PDFs linked from https://www.themonarchbar.com/menus (accessed 2026-07-24): “The Monarch Cocktail Menu, Spring–Summer 2026 Edition” (https://www.themonarchbar.com/_files/ugd/3a51b6_585d5633689a4067afeedf3d2c53c35b.pdf — full Migration/Classics/Mocktails lists with prices; credits page listing Katy & Jameson Emling as Owners, David & Noelle Manica as Founders & Designers, GM Cameron Coronado, head bartender Michael Hall, Parlour director Matt Slaney; 3% credit-card surcharge note); “Kitchen Menu” (https://www.themonarchbar.com/_files/ugd/3a51b6_10a71b3124974707a72f709a5c4603a9.pdf — seven items with prices; 30% off small plates during happy hour); “The Wine, Beer, & Spirits List, revision June 12th, 2026” (https://www.themonarchbar.com/_files/ugd/bbf4c2_07e765f372e343cbbf88ba2b7288d731.pdf — wine, beer, and by-the-pour spirits pricing). Hours (Mon–Thu 4pm–12am, Fri–Sat 4pm–1:30am; happy hour Mon–Fri 4–7pm) per site footer, accessed same day. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50

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On the record — ks.city/registry/the-monarch-cocktail-bar-lounge · record updated 2026-07-31