The Sundry’s impending move from its current Crossroads location to Plexpod Westport Commons wasn’t an easy decision for founder Ryan Wing. In a release, Wing called the relocation from its three-year home at 17th and Baltimore a “bittersweet decision.”
The Sundry opened in November 2014 and evolved from a modern take on the neighborhood grocery store to an immersive craft food and beverage experience. It blends a casual, order-at-the-counter Kitchen, with a Market that offers local and handcrafted products. All its meat comes from local farmers year-round, and so does much of the seasonal produce.
Wing said the move would get him closer to his “big dream of helping to build a sustainable American food system.”
The partnership between The Sundry and Plexpod will align the future of how people will eat with the future of how people will work, Wing noted. One of the attractions of moving is that Cultivate KC is negotiating with Plexpod Westport Commons to create an onsite urban farm in its green spaces. That would allow The Sundry to demonstrate the benefits of sustainable agriculture from field to fork, offering the farm’s products in its kitchen and market. Wing is also in the early stages of developing a culinary makerspace called The Sundry Food Lab for product development and collaboration.
The Sundry Westport Commons at 39th and Warwick should be open by the end of September.
The new store in the Plexpod co-working space is also the first step in what Wing sees as a potential national expansion opportunity. Next steps include the launch of a quick service, grab-and-go concept at Plexpod’s Lenexa location this fall. That endeavor will be called The Sundry Essentials. Plans are in the works to open a full-service Sundry with Plexpod in the Commerce Tower at 911 Main by early 2018.
In May, The Sundry hosted a re-grand opening to debut a beverage bar featuring a 32-foot walnut bar, a new small plates menu and Sunday brunch.
