Cynthia Clark
Citizen Staff
The Reef restaurant opened earlier this summer, answering the question of, “why is there a boat on the side of the road” while passing by the Tiffany Springs area of Kansas City.
Local nightclub owner John “Woody” Woodruff has the answer.
Right now, The Reef is open for lunch, with plans to open for dinner in about a month. Woodruff’s goal is to give the Northland an upscale eatery and entertainment in a supper club atmosphere.
While it seems The Reef is moving at a snail’s pace, that’s Woodruff’s plan.
“We do things slow, but we do things right, that’s our motto” he said. “We got a lot of the décor from an antique store in St. Louis and decided on the under the sea theme, because it was prettier than a field of beef.”
He’s very optimistic about his latest venture. Everything from the décor, to the “sign” on the highway, to the quality of food and the plans for entertainment.
“People are always curious about the boat,” he said. “The boat brings people in. When we first opened, I would say 40 percent of our business is off of the boat, which is why we were so adamant about keeping it.”
Once the boat brings people inside, the plan is to keep them wowed with the farm-to-table food, which according to Woodruff, will be a major highlight for the diners.
“Our steaks are as good as our seafood,” he said. “It’s the best Kansas City beef. We’re also going to have a 12- and 20-ounce prime rib, not many places have a 20-ounce prime rib. They’ll be one of the big highlights. All real food — no processed anything.
“There’s no chain anything about this place. We have really good food, really good atmosphere, we think a really good location. There’s really nothing in this area (Executive Hills) that’s upper end.”
Through the autumn The Reef’s service will expand, including a Sunday brunch and a happy hour. The management also plans to expand the bar service.
“We’re going to serve high-end bourbon and have quite the wine selection as we expand into happy hour and dinner service,” said Eric Jones, The Reef’s bartender. “I’m also planning on creating a martini menu for a martini night. I’ve worked everywhere and the menu, the clientele and the atmosphere here is going to be wonderful.”
The staff, along with Woodruff, is excited for the potential The Reef has, as they are very confident in the oasis they’ve created around the office buildings.
“Dinner will be a little more higher end because of the way the place lights,” Woodruff said. “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen when it’s all lit up at night.”