KANSAS CITY, MO — November 7, 2007 -- Raglan Road, a unique and authentic Irish restaurant and pub that has only one other location in the United States, is coming to the Kansas City Power & Light District.  The new tenant announcement was made jointly today at a special news conference by The Cordish Company, developer of the Kansas City Power & Light District, and Great Irish Pubs Ltd., owner of Raglan Road.

Scheduled to open spring of next year, Raglan Road will be located on 14th Street and Grand Blvd., occupying 10,000 square feet of space and offering two outdoor seating areas.

The only other U.S. location for this popular Irish establishment is at Downtown Disney in Orlando, FL.  The Florida site opened in 2005 and has quickly become one of the nation’s most popular Irish destinations, winning many awards for its food and entertainment.  Raglan Road Irish Restaurant and Pub is a rather new concept where heavy emphasis is placed on Irish cuisine set in a spectacular Victorian styled environment and featuring live Irish music and dance.

“Given Kansas City’s rich Irish traditions, we are excited that Great Irish Pubs has selected Kansas City’s Power & Light District for its second location in the United States,” said Blake Cordish, vice-president of The Cordish Company.  “Raglan Road will offer the District a very unique and authentic restaurant and entertainment venue, a one-of-a-kind experience for the metropolitan area.”

Celebrity Irish Master Chef Kevin Dundon oversees the restaurant’s award-winning menu, presenting unique contemporary Celtic cuisine that reflects the Irish dining tastes of today.  Dundon has prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth of England among a number of other entertainers and celebrities and has appeared on numerous television shows throughout the world.  The focus of his food is on cooking from fresh ingredients.  His Kansas City chefs are currently being trained at his five-star restaurant, Dunbrody House, located in County Wexford, Ireland.

Chef Dundon was on hand for the announcement along with Paul Nolan of Great Irish Pubs Ltd.  Nolan, along with co-owner John Cooke, created the Raglan Road concept.  They also created Nine Fine Irishmen, a well-known and popular restaurant on the Las Vegas strip.

“We are thrilled to have been invited by The Cordish Company to join the fantastic party at the Kansas City Power & Light District,” said Nolan.  “We looked far and wide for our second location, but as soon as we came to look at this development it became a very easy decision.  Our cuisine matches Kansas City’s appreciation of good food and good times,”.  “We felt at home and we hope Raglan Road will become a worthy addition to this city’s impressive lineup of restaurants.”

The feature pieces of the interior of Raglan Road are two specially built bars that are being handcrafted in Ireland from salvaged antique Irish pub materials.  Furniture and carpets are under production in Northern Ireland and the entire interior of the pub will be shipped in seven 40-foot containers from Dublin to Kansas City.  Irish craftsmen will travel here to assist local construction crews with the assembly of the pub’s interior.

The name Raglan Road came about from two sources.  There is an actual Raglan Road located on the south side of Dublin city, but the restaurant’s name really is derived from a poem written by noted Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh.  The song Raglan Road was recorded and popularized in the 1960s by Luke Kelly of the Dubliners from the words written and published by Kavanagh in 1946 under the title: “Dark Haired Mariam Ran Away.”  Since that time, such artist as Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor and U2 have recorded Raglan Road. Contact us with comments and enquiries here!

kcjobs@raglanroadirishpub.com