Triune

Triune is a locally owned American-fusion small-plates restaurant on the Crossroads–Westside edge, opened in July 2024 by Steven Blakley’s UHungry restaurant group (also behind the Crossroads burger stand Sauced) in the former Screenland Theatre building, with executive chef Rodolfo Rodriguez running a “vibrational dining” concept of globally inflected shared plates and a craft cocktail program.

Description

Triune is a fine-casual, small-plates restaurant at 1656 Washington Street, on the border between Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District and the Westside. It opened in late July 2024 inside a building previously known as the Screenland Theatre (later Screenland Armour), occupying a roughly 2,300-square-foot space that seats 89 guests and includes a large patio. The owners describe the concept as “vibrational dining” — the name Triune refers to “three things coming together and functioning as one,” variously described as the atmosphere, the service, and the diner.¹²

The kitchen, led by executive chef Rodolfo Rodriguez, serves an American-fusion menu of globally influenced small plates and entrées — crispy brussels sprouts, mascarpone crab dip, kofta meatballs with whipped goat cheese and pineapple chutney, elotes, jumbo sticky shrimp, and coffee-rubbed short ribs with espresso–orange demi-glace have appeared on the menu — alongside in-house breads. The space is paired with a craft cocktail and mocktail bar program and a moody, dim-lit modern interior that retains original architectural elements (steel doors, exposed brick) from the building’s past.¹²³

Ownership and history

Triune is locally owned and operated by Steven Blakley through the UHungry restaurant group, which he runs with his brother Spencer Blakley. The group’s first concept was Sauced, a casual burger stand in the Crossroads that the brothers launched roughly four years before Triune after being approached by a developer; its unexpected success (“if Sauced was the appetizer, Triune is the main course”) opened the door to a more formal venture. Triune is Blakley’s first foray into upscale dining, and he redesigned the space largely from scratch, emphasizing salvaged materials and repurposed furnishings.¹³

Executive chef Rodolfo Rodriguez created Triune’s menu. His prior kitchens include Blu Hwy, The Capital Grille, La Bodega, and Boru, and he leans on a Cuban culinary heritage (reflected in dishes such as Cubano sliders). The opening service team included bar manager Evelyn Torres-Chico (previously Crossroads Hotel) and maître d’ Whitney Coleman (previously the Rieger and Crossroads Hotel).¹²

The restaurant occupies the former Screenland Theatre / Screenland Armour space near 17th and Washington, part of a building acquired by a Denver developer in 2021; Triune was among the first new tenants in the redeveloped space. The Crossroads/Westside location places it within Kansas City’s densest concentration of independent, chef-driven restaurants. ¹²

Links

• Website: https://www.triunekc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triunekc/ (also seen as @triune.kc)
• Phone: (816) 863-1100

See also

• crossroads-arts-district
• Registry

Sources

Footnotes

1. The Pitch (thepitchkc.com) — “Triune triumphs: If Sauced was the appetizer, Triune is the main course for Steven Blakley” — https://www.thepitchkc.com/triune-triumphs-if-sauced-was-the-appetizer-triune-is-the-main-course-for-steven-blakley/ — accessed 2026-05-31 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Kansas City Magazine — “Triune, A ‘Vibrational Dining’ Experience, Opens Next Week” — https://kansascitymag.com/triune-a-vibrational-dining-experience-opens-next-week/ — accessed 2026-05-31 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Kansas City Magazine — “To this food critic’s dismay, restaurant Triune is truly ‘a vibe’” (review, Tyler Shane) — https://kansascitymag.com/to-this-food-critics-dismay-restaurant-triune-is-truly-a-vibe/ — accessed 2026-05-31 ↩ ↩²