West Kellogg speakeasy featuring dinner, drinks, drag and ‘pole artists’ opens next week

A new speakeasy featuring food, drink and “pole artists” will be ready to open next week in Wichita.

Austin Henry said he will open his new business on Wednesday, Jan. 26, in the former Carrie B’s and Oh My Sushi spot at 6339 W. Kellogg.

Called The Shadows, it will offer food, craft cocktails, a drag show on Wednesday nights and female pole dancers every night it’s open. Its hours will be 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

“We are very, very upscale,” said Henry, a longtime club manager in Wichita. “The place looks amazing.”

Henry said he’s renovated the building to have a prohibition-era speakeasy feel, right down to the entryway. Those who walk in the front door will feel like they’re in a phone booth, complete with an antique wooden wall telephone, and they’ll have to pull a lever to get inside.

The bar will serve cocktails and wine by the bottle, and The Shadows will also have a small cigar selection. The kitchen will offer a menu filled with options like a prohibition burger, a steak dinner and chicken lollipops.

“It’s well-rounded and fair for the size of facility it is,” Henry said of the food menu. “We wanted to give people enough but not too much.”

The Shadows Wednesday-night drag show will be hosted by a local drag performer named Dynasty. It will last from 7 to 9 p.m., and the dancers will take the stage after that.

Henry said The Shadows’ dancers will have a “burlesque look but will not be dressed trashy and raunchy. They’ll be dressed sexy yet classy.” In the later part of the night, some dancers will wear only tassels on top, he said.

He’s also considering adding live music, magicians and comedians as entertainment but will ask patrons for their feedback before he decides.

“We’re going to open this thing up and see what people want,” he said.

People must be 21 or older to enter, Henry said, and he’s hoping to appeal both to couples looking for a unique date night and to business travelers staying at nearby hotels on West Kellogg.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/theshadowswichita

The Shadows menu

This story was originally published January 19, 2022 at 5:26 PM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.