Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Graham.
Hi Brandon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started mowing lawns in Lawrence as a kid. That grew through high school and I bought another mowing business out when I was seventeen. I grew that through my time at KU to a pretty good size operation with two crews of guys working during the season. I went to the corporate world after graduation for a while with GE and had managers run that business, selling it four years later.
I bought a Goodcents restaurant next, then that turned into five locations, then we bought Jefferson’s in Lawrence in 2011 after having triplet boys on New Years Eve in 2010. We acquired other businesses and brands over the last ten years, including Papa Keno’s, that we have since sold, and acquired the Jefferson’s brand in 2018. We have grown that business to 30 locations and have now started the WingStand by Jefferson’s brand in Kansas City. We’re really excited to be starting this brand in KC and to have our flagship location in Mission Kansas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a challenge at lots of different points, but I’m very fortunate and blessed with a great family, an understanding wife, great partners, great employees, and great customers that support our businesses. The struggles are what make the wins even more special.
As you know, we’re big fans of WingStand by Jefferson’s. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
In September of 1991, Jefferson’s opened its doors in Jacksonville, AL. Even with only 4 signature sauces on the menu, Jefferson’s was an immediate hit. People loved the chicken wings so much, Jefferson’s would run out of them.
30 years later, the world looks a lot different, but people’s love for chicken wings has stayed the same. In September of 2021, WingStand opened its first location in Mission, KS, serving 18 signature sauces & jumbo wings to a new generation of wing lovers.
WingStand was created with convenience in mind, while never straying from the quality product our system has been serving for decades. With traditional & boneless wings, jumbo tenders, chicken sandwiches & loaded mac ‘n’ cheese all tossed in our variety of signature sauces, there is something for everyone at WingStand.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Most of my life is a risk, technically. Calculated, but risk all the same. All the business and real estate acquisitions that we’ve done have some element of risk to them. It’s something you get used to over time.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://wingstand.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wingstandkc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WingStandKC/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/flippthebird/
Image Credits:
Carter Gaskins and Wendy Franco
