This Kansas City business has closed. KS.City keeps its page on the record.

In memoriam — Westport Ale House. A decade-long Westport sports-bar staple at 4128 Broadway, on the corner of Archibald and Broadway, opened in 2014 and closed April 9, 2024 after a 10-year run. Billed as one of Kansas City’s premier sports bars — 50-plus screens, a rooftop bar, and “famous” watch parties as an official pub partner for the Chiefs, Royals, and Sporting KC. The owners cited unsustainable increases in food, beverage, insurance, and rent costs. The space was subsequently taken over by brunch concept Holy Brunch KC, which itself departed in December 2025 amid a federal discrimination lawsuit tied to the building and the Westport CID. This record honors the Ale House’s contribution to Westport’s game-day culture.

Description

Westport Ale House was a sports bar and pub anchored on the corner of Archibald and Broadway at 4128 Broadway, in the heart of westport. Across roughly a decade it positioned itself as one of Kansas City’s premier game-day destinations, marketing itself as “Your Kansas City Chiefs Sports Bar,” “Your Kansas City Royals Sports Bar,” and an official pub partner of Sporting KC.1

The venue’s draw was its scale and atmosphere for watching live sports: more than 50 big-screen TVs throughout the building, a separate rooftop bar with full service and views over Westport, and watch parties the bar described as “famous throughout the Kansas City area.” It served a large menu of classic bar fare and drinks, with rotating specials built around special events and watch parties, and ran trivia nights.1

Ownership and history

Westport Ale House opened in 2014 (reported as March 2014) and operated for a full decade.23 Press coverage of both the bar’s run and its closure did not name the ownership, so individual owner identity is unconfirmed.234

During its tenure the Ale House became a fixture of Westport’s nightlife and sports-watching scene. It was also the site of a deadly shooting in July 2022, an event later referenced in coverage of the space’s transition to its successor tenant.5

Closure

Westport Ale House closed permanently on April 9, 2024, after a 10-year run.234 In its closing announcement the owners wrote: “It is with our deepest regret to notify you all that after 10 years, we are officially closing the doors,” and added, “We are so appreciative and fortunate to have served so many wonderful people over the years. Thank you for the memories and for your support.”24

The owners attributed the closure to unsustainable cost increases — citing inflationary rises in food and beverage costs, insurance, and rent — that combined to make continued operation infeasible without price increases customers could not bear.24

Successor — Holy Brunch KC. The 4128 Broadway space was subsequently taken over by Holy Brunch KC, the brunch concept founded by Andrue (“Drue”) Stewart, which began as a pandemic-era food truck before expanding to brick-and-mortar locations. Holy Brunch moved into the former Ale House space — a roughly 16,000-square-foot, two-floor-plus-rooftop venue — opening there in July 2025.5 Less than six months later, on December 10, 2025, Stewart announced Holy Brunch was leaving the location, citing employee-safety concerns amid fallout from a federal lawsuit. In January 2025, a federal RICO suit had been filed by Black restaurateur Christopher Lee’s Euphoric, LLC (with UniKC LLC and The Sourze LLC) against the all-white Westport Community Improvement District (CID) and the owners of 4128 Broadway, seeking $70 million and alleging civil-rights violations.67

Legacy

For a decade, Westport Ale House was one of the neighborhood’s defining game-day gathering spots — a high-volume, screen-saturated sports bar with a rooftop that drew Chiefs, Royals, and Sporting KC fans for watch parties. Its closure in 2024 marked the loss of a long-running Westport staple, and the contested fate of its 4128 Broadway space afterward kept the address in the local news well past the bar’s own closing.

See also

westport · Registry

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Westport Ale House — “Why Westport Ale House is the #1 Sports Bar in Kansas City.” https://westportalehouse.com/our-kansas-city-fun-restaurant/our-westport-sports-bar/. Source for: 50+ TVs, rooftop bar, Chiefs/Royals/Sporting KC partnerships, watch parties, trivia, food/drink menu, Archibald & Broadway corner. ↩ ↩2

  2. KSHB 41 — “Westport staple Ale House closes after 10-year run in Kansas City.” https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/westport-staple-ale-house-closes-after-10-year-run-in-kansas-city. Source for: April 9, 2024 closure; ~2014 opening; 4128 Broadway; cost-driven closure; closing statement. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. KCTV5 — “Popular Westport bar closes after a decade serving fans.” https://www.kctv5.com/2024/04/09/popular-westport-bar-closes-after-decade-serving-fans/. Source for: ~2014 founding; sports-bar concept; closure reasons; owner statement. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Fox4 KC — “Westport Ale House sports bar announces permanent closure.” https://fox4kc.com/business/westport-ale-house-sports-bar-announces-permanent-closure/. Source for: April 9, 2024 closure and cost-driven reasons. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. KCUR — “Drue Stewart hopes Holy Brunch KC can bring ‘new life’ to the former Westport Ale House.” https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2025-04-06/holy-brunch-kc-westport-ale-house. Source for: Holy Brunch successor; 2024 Ale House closure reference; July 2022 shooting reference; 16,000 sq ft / two floors + rooftop. ↩ ↩2

  6. Fox4 KC — “Holy Brunch KC closing its doors, blames Westport racial discrimination lawsuit.” https://fox4kc.com/news/holy-brunch-kc-closing-its-doors-blames-westport-racial-discrimination-lawsuit/. Source for: Holy Brunch Dec. 10, 2025 departure; July 2025 opening at 4128 Broadway; lawsuit context. ↩

  7. The Kansas City Defender — “Federal RICO Case Alleges an All-White Board Runs Westport Nightlife Like a Racist Cartel.” https://kansascitydefender.com/black-business/federal-rico-case-alleges-an-all-white-board-runs-westport-nightlife-like-a-racist-cartel/. Source for: January 2025 RICO suit, Christopher Lee / Euphoric LLC, Westport CID, 4128 Broadway ownership, $70M damages. ↩

See also

Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Westport