A new pan-Asian carryout restaurant has quietly taken over the Wornall Road storefront that spent seven years as one of Waldo's most celebrated dining destinations. Jade & Ember Munchery opened last week at 8431 Wornall Road, the same address where Waldo Thai served guests until its October 2025 closing, and co-owner David Suwanwisute says most neighbors still have no idea the lights are back on.
According to the Kansas City Star, Jade & Ember is co-owned by Suwanwisute along with siblings Donny Lo and Teresa Lo, whose family also owns Chinatown Food Market in the River Market district. The restaurant serves Thai family recipes alongside Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean dishes, and it's named for the mascot of Chinatown Food Market itself. Suwanwisute told the Star that several neighbors have peered inside since the doors opened, but he believes most of Waldo still doesn't realize food is being served there again.
A Different Kind of Restaurant in a Familiar Building
Suwanwisute was direct about how the new concept differs from its predecessor, telling the Star that Jade & Ember is not Waldo Thai 2.0. Jade & Ember has launched strictly as carryout, open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Tuesday. According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly 75% of all restaurant traffic now happens off-premises, putting Jade & Ember’s carryout-first model in line with a broader industry trend.
The menu reflects that shift toward everyday convenience. Pad Thai runs $15, orange chicken is $14, bulgogi beef is $14, and kee mao udon is $14, all notably cheaper than the roughly $25 entrees Waldo Thai charged, per the Star's reporting. Diners can also find curried mac and cheese for $13, Japanese poutine for $11, some additional to-go items, and the restaurant's viral peach and mango fruit pops. Suwanwisute said the lower price point is meant to be approachable for everyone, and the space now features a jade-colored dragon mural snaking around the side of the building.
Grocery Roots Meet a Restaurant Kitchen
The Lo family connection runs deeper than ownership. Donny and Teresa Lo's family operates Chinatown Food Market at 202 Grand Blvd, a comprehensive international grocery in River Market known for its extensive Asian dry goods, fresh produce, and full-service butcher and fishmonger operation, according to KCtoday. Jade & Ember's owners also have a connection to the River Market grocery store.
Jade & Ember still needs a liquor license before it can open its planned full bar, and the dining room will stay closed until the team hires more cooks and operates for several more days, the Star reports. Suwanwisute plans to expand the restaurant's hours once staffing catches up with demand.
The Space's Long History on Wornall Road
The Wornall Road address has cycled through several distinct concepts over the years. Waldo Thai moved in during August 2018, taking over a spot previously occupied by Swagger Fine Spirits & Food, a neighborhood bar that closed in 2014 following a commercial lease lawsuit and was known for a deep-fried Suribachi burger once featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, according to Flatland KC.
Waldo Thai built a significant local reputation under executive chef Pam Liberda, who led the kitchen from 2018 until her May 2025 departure and earned a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Midwest in 2023, as noted by Buck Tui BBQ. In November 2023, the restaurant was tapped as an official local restaurant partner for CPKC Stadium, with its stadium location set to offer rice and noodle dishes, per the Kansas City Current. Liberda was part of Waldo Thai's history.
Waldo Thai permanently closed in October 2025 after seven years in business. Liberda also has a role at Buck Tui BBQ in Overland Park, the Thai-KC barbecue fusion restaurant she co-founded, where she launched dedicated Thai Tuesday menus. Waldo Thai's reputation is part of the legacy Jade & Ember now follows into the same building.
Whether Waldo's dining crowd embraces a carryout-first pan-Asian concept in a space long associated with sit-down Thai dining remains to be seen. Waldo's commercial corridor gives Jade & Ember plenty of neighborhood company as it works to fill its dining room and finish out its bar buildout. According to the City of Kansas City’s plans-and-policies index, Waldo has a designated Waldo Streetscape Plan.
