In a city best known for its barbecue, restauranteurs Timothy Harris and Marcus Easy purposely left this signature dish off the menu of their new Kansas City, Missouri, establishment Privēe Restaurant + Lounge.
Housed in a grand 9,000-square-foot space, the popular destination combines a fine dining experience with the ambiance of an upscale lounge. It’s a restaurant model usually found in larger city markets like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Houston…and now Kansas City, thanks to the duo’s vision.
With backgrounds in real estate and healthcare IT, Kansas City-born Harris and New York City native Easy first met in 2016 while collaborating on a work project. And though both eventually went on to tackle other corporate and entrepreneurial ventures, the businessmen kept in touch and reconnected in 2022 to combine their love for food with the idea of creating a unique restaurant concept for Kansas City.
Something New For Kansas City
The background behind the naming of Privēe Restaurant + Lounge was inspired, in part, by Harris’ late grandmother, Lester Patterson, who owned her own catering company and had dreams of opening a restaurant.
“She was always encouraging myself, my siblings, my cousins, our family to stay knowledgeable about different cultures, books,” says Harris, who is proud to honor her legacy with the opening of Privēe.
“So [the word] privy, by definition, is to ‘stay in the know,’ continues the restauranteur. “And because Kansas City has not been able to experience this type of dining concept, this is us keeping Kansas City ‘in the know.’”
There’s a lot for Privēe Restaurant + Lounge patrons to discover when visiting the Crossroads Arts District establishment. “We have the downstairs dining area and our patio,” describes Harris. “And upstairs we have the Jade Room ‘lounge’ that’s used for dining, too, but it’s a members-only space.”
The co-owner shares that the Privēe Black Card membership unlocks a host of extras ranging from accessing the private one-of-a-kind “Chef Experience” room (a four-hour dining experience), special birthday and anniversary perks, invitations to new menu tastings and cocktail premiers as well as premium valet parking, among other benefits. Harris shares membership tiers range from $250 (for a monthly membership) to $1500 (for an annual fee).
In addition, a rotating roster of live music, a DJ and cabaret-style entertainment make for a truly curated ambiance for diners at Privēe Restaurant + Lounge. “That’s all part of our unique experience—you never know what you’re going to walk into,” says Harris about the dinner-focused venue open Wednesday to Sunday (with brunch offerings available on the weekends).
By Jocelyn Amador
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Cuisine Noir Magazine is the country’s first Black food publication, launched in 2009 and dedicated to connecting the African diaspora through food, drink and travel. To read the rest of this article and more, visit www.cuisinenoirmag.com.
