Exploring Life & Business with Jeff Denney of Auntie Mae’s Parlor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Denney.

Hi Jeff, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to Manhattan in 1990. My roommate at the time was working as a doorman at Auntie Mae’s Parlor in Aggieville. I soon became a regular, showing up there daily after work. I was 21 years old and didn’t have much of anything going on. There were thoughts of going back to school but no real plan of what to study. I knew back then that Auntie Mae’s was special and I loved just being there. Soon, I knew everyone by name. So, I jumped at the opportunity to work there when it arose. I started in the summer of 1992 as a doorman and was soon bartending the day shifts. By 1994, I was working the busy closing shifts, making good money and having the time of my life. My son was born in 1996 and his mother and I decided to marry a year later. Two big life-changing moments.

So, when Auntie Mae’s ownership asked me if I was interested in buying into the business, I did not hesitate. I was simultaneously struck with the thoughts of being a responsible adult for the sake of my family and the idea of owning a piece of the business that I had fallen in love with. Well, not everything goes as planned. After the birth of my daughter in 2001, Auntie Mae’s won out over my marriage in 2003. I was spending 60 – 70 hours a week at Auntie Mae’s and getting home most nights at 3am. But, after struggling for a few years, I was able to eventually buy out my business partner in 2008 and with the help of my new wife, both of my kids (they have all worked at Auntie Mae’s at times), and a wonderful staff, we have watched this business grow over the years. And then Covid came along.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can’t imagine any business owner saying that the road has been smooth. There are new challenges every day. But you learn. I’d bet, on average, once a month I curse myself for getting into this business. There are so many things that can and do go wrong. And when they do, I walk around cussing and complaining, I may lose a night or two of sleep, but then I figure it out and I move forward. I’ve learned how to be a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, an accountant. The list goes on. You keep moving forward because you have to.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Auntie Mae’s Parlor was opened in a basement in Aggieville (Manhattan, KS) circa 1974. There is a story of the space originally operating as a speakeasy back in the 30s but obviously, there is no record of that. Throughout the 70s and much of the 80s Mae’s catered to the over-21 crowd. That is to say that in a college town when the drinking age was 18, Mae’s was a place where you could get a good cocktail and avoid the drunken young crowd. After the drinking age turned to 21, Mae’s became more of a college hangout and owner, Rob Goode, a former K-State football player transformed the basement bar into a game-day staple. As the crowds coming to Manhattan on Saturdays grew (thank you, Bill Snyder!), so did the success of several Aggieville businesses, Auntie Mae’s included. In the late 90s, with a lack of venues in the area, Auntie Mae’s began to host local and regional bands and artists. With the resurgence of cocktail culture in the 2000s, Auntie Mae’s has tried to return to the old days of catering to a more mature clientele but to balance that with the college/dive bar feel. A place where everyone can find something they like.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Balance. In everything, there must be balance. In business, I try to balance what Auntie Mae’s has to offer. To be successful, we have to balance out our products between the high-end cocktails and fancy beers with the less expensive “dad beers” and cheap well drink specials. But on a personal note, I have to balance my family life with my work schedule. I hate to think about the things I have missed in my personal life because I was stuck at work. Now that I’m older, I have come a little closer to balancing my life. I wish I would have started this balancing act much sooner.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.auntiemaes.com
• Instagram: auntiemaes
• Facebook: @auntiemaesparlor
• Twitter: @AuntieMaes

Image Credits
Johanna Burniston Colleen Bilzing