Exploring Life & Business with Nick Price of Jefferson’s

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Price.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I have always been in love with Kansas City. I wasn’t born here, but my family moved to Overland Park in 2001 when I was in 1st grade. I graduated from Blue Valley North High School in 2013 and was accepted to my dream school, the University of Kansas. That’s where my journey with Jefferson started, back in my college days. I attended the University of Kansas from 2013-2017, where I graduated with a BSJ in Journalism. One summer, I was broke and needed a job that would work around my school schedule. I walked up and down Massachusetts Street, applying anywhere and everywhere. The last stop was Jefferson’s at 8th and Massachusetts. I was tired from a long day of applying for jobs and was heading back to my car when I decided to apply to another place. I walked into the restaurant and saw one of my TAs bartending. She gave me an application and introduced me to the General Manager and the owner, Brandon Graham. I ended the interview and was offered the job of server and bartender. While working for Brandon at his two Jefferson locations, we fostered a relationship beyond my college years.

After graduation, I moved to Kansas City and worked at 610 Sports Radio, following my dream of making it in sports journalism (I still work there part-time). Once again hurting for money, I get a text from my old boss, Brandon, asking if I would help with the grand opening of their newest location in North Kansas City. I accepted the position and worked as a bartender and server for the first 10 months. At the time, I was living in Westport with my friend from college, Beau Domoney, who also worked part-time at Jefferson’s North Kansas City. After a rough night at the restaurant, we returned to the apartment and stayed up for hours talking about how to improve the restaurant and make it a true staple in the Kansas City community. We convinced ourselves we could open our restaurant, so I contacted Brandon to schedule a meeting.

Brandon loved our ideas and our enthusiasm for the brand. We shook hands, and now it was time to make some money to make our newfound dreams of owning a business become a reality. I left Jefferson’s North Kansas City in February of 2020 and worked multiple jobs to try and raise as much capital as possible. After a couple of years with Beau and I working various jobs, we had finally gathered enough capital to make it happen. We met with Jefferson’s corporate to get the ball rolling. Upon looking at multiple locations around the KC Metro, we decided on a nice little spot at the corner of 87th Street Pkwy and Lackman in Lenexa. We go through the process, sign the lease, and then Beau gets a phone call. It’s Ned Nelson, Vice President of Jefferson’s, calling to tell us that the North Kansas City location is for sale. “Is it a good idea to go from zero restaurants to two in 20 minutes?” we asked. “You’ll either go broke or figure it out, so you might as well figure it out now,” said Ned. Alright, let’s do this thing.

We officially take over the North Kansas City location on November 16, 2021. From bartender to business owner, we were thrown into the fire, learning the ins and outs of the industry as quickly as possible. 70-80 hour weeks became the norm. We worked open-to-close for the first few months as we tried to tackle the learning curve we faced as new business owners. Eventually, things became more accessible, and our customer base grew. Now, just 3 years later, we are looking at an increase of 100% in sales since we took the restaurant over. Most of that growth is due to our dedication to getting to know our customers and creating a fun and welcoming environment for our patrons. It’s much easier to trust that a place will take care of you when you see the owners there every day pouring beers, cooking great food, and caring for your every need.

After figuring things out operationally, it was time to get that Lenexa store off the ground finally. We worked through our renovation of the Lenexa location in the Summer/Fall of 2022, and we opened for business for the KU vs Arkansas Liberty Bowl game on December 28, 2022. Since then, we have seen similar growth to what we have at our NKC location, and we continue to spend our time in the restaurants, meeting our guests and making sure that they feel like family. That’s what makes us different.

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not. The learning curve of going from bartender to restaurant owner is challenging. From staffing issues arising from opening a restaurant after COVID to learning how to become organized from an administrative perspective, we have faced our fair share of challenges during our time with Jefferson’s. I vividly remember some of our first lunch services in North Kansas City, where it would take 45 minutes to get the food out. I’m very grateful that so many people gave us a second chance, as now we get every meal out in 8-14 minutes.

You can’t succeed without a great staff, and that’s exactly what we have now that makes this possible. We hired an excellent general manager in North Kansas City, Darlene Minored-McIntosh. She has been essential in continuing to perfect and sustain the culture that we have built there. We really lucked out for the kitchen when we hired our Kitchen Manager, Ricardo Conejo. He brings his 30+ years of experience to our concept and has made our kitchen one of the most efficient and cleanest kitchens in Kansas City. From upper management to our front-line servers, bartenders, and cooks, we have gotten to the point where we have an incredibly talented team that makes our lives much more accessible.

Now, we are continuing to grow as business owners. Beau and I have strong ties to the Kansas City community, and we have made it a point to make connections within our community, partner with different charities and causes, and do whatever we can to be there for our patrons who provide for our livelihood. We went through many struggles along the way, but I’m really proud of how we have grown and improved from those moments.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Jefferson’s is a family-friendly sports bar specializing in our award-winning chicken wings, hand-pattie burgers, and fresh gulf oysters. The first Jefferson’s opened in Jacksonville, AL, in 1991 and then expanded to Lawrence, KS, in 2000. Since then, the concept has caught fire, and we have 38 locations across the Midwest and Southeast.

What sets us apart is that all our food is made fresh. From our fresh, never-frozen wings to our hand-breaded chicken, hand-patted certified Angus beef burgers, and numerous seafood options, there is something here for everyone. We also pride ourselves on exceptional customer service. Everyone works at home and needs one more place to feel welcomed and like family. We greatly strive to be that place for the community. You’ll see our staff joking around and having a great time with regulars, all while making connections with new patrons and giving them a reason to make Jefferson’s part of their weekly routine.

We were blessed with the opportunity to be named one of Kansas City’s Favorite Wings by the KC Star last year. Our award-winning Double-dipped wings are something that any wing connoisseur needs to experience. A crispy buffalo-style crust with a hot and juicy inside makes these wings something you could have only dreamed of. We also have a full bar, seasonal cocktails, and an incredible atmosphere for watching the game. TV is all over the place, and many locations and national beers on tap make this the perfect place for game day or your night out with the family. Since we are family-focused, we offer a special where kids eat free every Tuesday. Family is important to us, and we would love for your family to come out and spend time with us.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
That sums it up. It’s gratifying to be able to own a business in the communities that I grew up in. The Kansas City metro is a part of me, and being able to be a part of the ecosystem here and help move the city forward is a tremendous honor.

Pricing:

• Daily Specials
• Late Night Snacks – $1 Traditional Wings, Half-Off Apps, $2 oysters
• Amazing Happy Hour and Reverse Happy Hour

Contact Info:

• Website: jeffersons.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffersonsnkc/ https://www.instagram.com/jeffersonslenexa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonsLenexaKS https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonsNorthKC/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffersonsNKC https://twitter.com/JeffersonsLXKS
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jeffersons-lenexa-lenexa?osq=jefferson%27s https://www.yelp.com/biz/jeffersons-north-kansas-city?osq=jefferson%27s