Savoy Hotel and Savoy Grill (1888-2014); The Savoy at 21c and 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City

This location was home to the Savoy Hotel starting in 1888, as well as a restaurant that was established in 1903 and frequented by Harry S. Truman so often that a plaque was placed in booth number four, designating the former President's preferred dining location when he operated a nearby clothing store. The restaurant and hotel closed following a 2014 fire, but the building was later renovated and reopened by the 21c hotel chain that includes a modern art gallery and many tributes to the former historic restaurant and hotel. The former restaurant was initially used as storage, but after hundreds of requests from patrons, the former dining room reopened as the Savoy at 21c: Restaurant which includes the historically significant murals that were created as part of the restaurant's 1903 opening. These works by Edward Holslag depict early Kansas City history from pioneers departing Westport on the Sante Fe Trail to the arrival of steamboats on the Missouri River. A short hallway connects these historical works to a modern art gallery that is open to the public 24 hours a day within the new hotel's lobby. A virtual tour of the hotel's art gallery and restaurant, including the murals by Edward Holsalg, is available within this entry.

The Savoy Hotel and Savoy Grill was constructed in four phases between 1890 and 1906 and featured a neoclassic design. The building was initially completed as a five-story structure, with a sixth story added along with rear extensions. From 1905 to 1906, a western addition was added, reaching seven stories. In the earliest years, the Savoy Grill was only open to male patrons while the hotel's dining room was open to all. The Savoy Grill was the oldest restaurant in the city until a 2014 fire led to its closure and the building being acquired by a new owner.

The Savoy Grill maintained a turn of the century feeling up throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The hotel and grill have passed through many different owners, including the Savoy Investment Company which bought the building, in 1962. Donald F. Lee purchased the restaurant in 1960 and acquired the hotel five years later. The Savoy Hotel and Grill closed after a fire in 2014. In 2016, work on renovating and reopening the historic hotel began under the auspices of the 21c Museum Hotels group and the historic dining room reopened in 2018.

National Register of Historic Places, Savoy Grill, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, National Register #74001073.

Diane Stafford, "Hotel Savoy renovation in Kansas City gets new timetable." The Kansas City Star. September 13, 2016. http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/development/article101620162.html (accessed April 21, 2017).

Deel, Karla. The Savoy Hotel Bed & Breakfast and the Savoy Grill. n.d. http://ediblenetwork.com/kansascity/edible-traditions-the-savoy-hotel-bed-breakfast-and-the-savoy-gr... (accessed April 28, 2017).

Scooters Bars. February 2010. http://www.scootersbars.com/2010/02/savoy-grill/ (accessed April 28, 2017).

Postcard of the Savoy Hotel, Mrs. Sam Ray Postcard Collection, Kansas City Public Library. Accessed August 28th, 2022. https://kchistory.org/islandora/object/kchistory%3A108939/datastream/OBJ/view.