Who knew Lanni Edwards’ trip to a brewery in Arkansas would give creative inspiration for the new restaurant she and husband Josh were working to open in Downtown Lee’s Summit?
Well, that trip - and a little wine - proved to be the start of the stylish juices flowing as they opened Calaveras, a sleek Mexican joint in the former (and now unrecognizable) Peanut bar and grill on Southeast Main Street.
The Edwards, along with Josh’s dad, Jeff, took possession of the building on Jan. 1, 2020. Some two years and ten months later, they opened the doors.
What happened in between was a series of inventive and visionary design moves that brought the lustrous, date-night look to Calaveras.
In the beginning, Lanni said the biggest struggle started with balancing the look of black lacquer and hues of cobalt blue and hot pink.
“We were in Mountain Home, Ark., at Rapps Barren (brewery) and all the sudden I got some inspiration,” Lanni explained, noting she decided to ditch the blues and pink for a black-forward look. “And I loved the wallpaper at J. Rieger’s, too. There were a few things that went into our inspiration.
“The whole idea of chandeliers and black was always our goal.”
Diners at Calaveras are, indeed, visually drawn in by the experience of the beautiful, polished look inside the historic building, which was taken down to ‘white box’ status before being put back together in their vision. Lanni and Josh had an “old school, 1920s, Manhattan, New York bar” concept in mind.
There was also some must-have decor on Lanni’s list: Day of the Dead.
Calaveras is adorned with hundreds of skulls and artwork celebrating the heritage.
“We were getting purse hooks for the bar at Home Depot and Josh looked up and saw the skulls, so we bought one, spray painted it and then we were hell-bent to find the rest from all over the country,” Lanni said “We didn’t want to be too risque with the artwork, so we set out to find that balance of not too suggestive and not too cartoonish.”
And, of course, Sebastian the Marlin - a nod to Ernest Hemingway - oversees diners near the entrance/exit to the kitchen.
“That was important to us,” Lanni said, noting husband Josh has a marlin tattoo. “That’s really where I started to find my stride. Hemingway, rum, cigars, ocean life. It was all coming together.”
Even the restrooms have proven memorable for customers at Calaveras.
“I wanted ladies to feel sexy in the women’s bathroom and men to feel manly in the men’s bathroom,” Lanni said.
Having opened Smoke Brewing Company six years prior, the Edwards compiled quite a list of restaurant ‘dos and don'ts’ along the way. Moving the bar at the former Peanut wasn’t even a question. More two-top tables. Adding a customer area at the front near the bar. Garage doors in the front. All of it would be incorporated into Calaveras.
“We wanted to open up the space as much as we could,” Lanni said. “This is the golden spot in our downtown. The park, train depot, where they hold the Mayor’s Tree Lighting. We wanted as much openness to our adorable downtown area as we could get.”
Creating a space where key members of their team - executive chef Josh Laufketter, who hails from James Beard-award-winning restaurant Bluestem; bar manager Jesse Bowen - a triple threat as a Level-1 Sommelier, Certified Beer Server and Bar-5 Day Graduate; and new general manager Josh Ballinger - felt comfortable to flourish was important.
Creating a sexy spot, a late-night place. That was the goal, too. And Lanni got to do a little shopping along the way.
“A little bit of drinking wine and shopping online during COVID, not going to lie,” she said. “It’s a fun space to be in, but I have a love affair with it.”
COMING SOON
Calaveras’ outdoor deck will be a destination this summer as the Edwards open their frozen cocktail bar, complete with custom begonias from Farrand Farms. It will feature six rotating flavors of frozen drinks, bringing a tropical feel to the alleyway in downtown Lee’s Summit.