Is that bullet-proof glass? New event venue in Johnson County holds clues to its roots
A new Johnson County event space is embracing its time as a Bank of America branch.
The Mint, located at 12345 W. 95th St. in Lenexa, housed the bank for about 25 years. So far, it’s hosted business meetings, but owner Steve Beaumont has more elaborate events in mind, too.
Instead of completely starting fresh, Beaumont decided to stick with the bank theme in several of the building’s features, most notably in the bar. He calls that area The Vault, as it’s literally the old vault from the bank.
“You hear all this waxing nostalgia of the history of it being a bank,” Beamont said. “I wanted to embrace that history (of) this building and this corner.”
Visitors will find safes, safe deposit boxes and a few sheets of bulletproof glass from the old teller windows used as decoration in various places.
Although it has several meeting rooms, much of the venue’s new construction is specific to weddings.
The former six-lane drive-thru now has walls, transforming it into a space where you can host a ceremony, then have a dance floor slightly separated from the dining area.
Overhead, throughout the space, circular light fixtures are meant to symbolize wedding rings.
Members of the wedding party can prepare in spaces with multiple vanity mirrors. One room has a walk-in shower and areas for the bridal party to take photos.
“We definitely prioritized space in here,” said Shelby Beaumont, marketing director.
The area for groomsmen has what Steve Beaumont calls a man cave, which offers a bar, poker table and an outdoor smoking spot.
He called a room with a ping-pong table, dartboard and multi-game arcade terminal “a place for the groomsmen for the three hours the ladies are doing their hair and doing their makeup. The groomsmen are always looking for things to do.”
During the event, this can double as a place to entertain children, he said.
Beaumont is also excited about a secret door that from the outside actually looks like a window.
“The bride and groom can sneak in that secret door and all of the sudden be standing in the middle (of the room), and people will be wondering where they came from. Kind of a Vegas, David Copperfield kind of entry,” he said.
Beaumont has some experience in this arena with his other venue, Avent Orangery in Kansas City, Kansas.
“I saw a real opportunity in the Johnson County market to do something that would compete with all the event spaces that are downtown and in the Crossroads, because so much of Johnson County goes and holds their corporate event, their fundraiser, their wedding and reception downtown in Kansas City, Missouri,” Beaumont said.
He’s enthusiastic about many features in the venue, including a water vapor fireplace that simulates the appearance of flames without any actual fire.
Also on the list of features is a projected TV wall boasting a 32-foot screen. Because of the angle used for projection, an individual, like a presenter, can stand quite close to the screen, without blocking the images.
The total capacity for events at The Mint is 360 people. Beaumont said he already has holiday parties and weddings booked for this year.
He estimated that weddings will be about 60% of the business, with the other 40% encompassing business meetings, fundraisers and other types of events. A Saturday night wedding runs about $10,000 for a 12-hour rental.
