Meet Privee Restaurant and Lounge of Tim Harris & Marcus Easy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Privee Restaurant and Lounge of Tim Harris & Marcus Easy.

Hi, Tim Harris & Marcus Easy; we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For me, Tim Harris, my maternal grandmother, Lester Patterson, was a large part of my upbringing as she helped raise me. At the same time, my mother continued her education and climbed the corporate ladder. During my adolescent years, I spent countless hours and days helping my grandmother with her catering company. Her dishes were well received and recognized throughout small businesses within the black community as she catered their weekday and weekend lunches. She always spoke of a dream to open a restaurant, but she unexpectedly passed away in 2006 before seeing her dream come true. So, the idea of a restaurant came from Lester’s dreams and me wanting to continue her legacy. She was someone who was a quiet, humble person who worked hard while sacrificing for her children and her grandchildren. She was a praying woman who never sought the limelight but instead just wanted to do the right thing and see her loved ones live a better life than what she had growing up during the early 1920s. She was my hero, and this is my way of honoring her.

Additionally, after traveling across the US plus several other countries and experiencing a unique dining concept, I came home to Kansas City, and it needed to be included. So, in addition to continuing Lester’s legacy, the initial idea was founded by my love for KC and my desire to bring a different dining concept to my hometown.

My business partner, Marcus Easy, is originally from New York but most recently a resident of Miami, Florida. We previously worked together at Cerner Corporation in 2016 as he consulted on the Department of Defense project with me, and that’s when he fell in love with Kansas City. We’ve stayed connected and grown individually with our separate entrepreneurial business endeavors. During the summer of 2022, while I was holding corporate meetings in Florida, I also met with Marcus and gave him my idea to start the business. He immediately joined in, as being a restaurateur has been his goal for several years. Marcus has for a very long time had a passion to open a unique restaurant with an experience that embodies both class and culture. Also, during his frequent travels as a consultant, he sees similar business ventures nationwide. He noted what works and what does not, as he dreams of what he can do to innovate. When Marcus looks at KC, he sees a grand city with ample opportunity and a population eager for more. Marcus and Tim have partnered to bring their dreams to reality.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With full transparency, opening the doors to Privēe has not been as smooth as we thought it would be. For example, receiving a loan to open a restaurant is a challenging thing to accomplish. From the bank’s view, restaurants are considered a high-risk industry, and with Marcus and I not having previously owned or operated a restaurant, that increased the risk. However, to help minimize the risk, Marcus and I built relationships with bankers, learned their ways of funding, and educated ourselves on their loan processes. With this, we did everything to check their boxes before presenting our concept and submitting an application. From detailed business plans to adding multiple consultants to our business team, we did everything needed to strengthen our profile when speaking with banks. That was not enough. One bank even requested that we market our business renderings for them to view how Kansas Citians would receive our concept before considering our application. In addition to a bumpy road to receive roads, we encountered rejection from the Kansas City area when voting on our liquor license. The process normally takes about sixty days, but for us, it took nearly six months to receive approval. However, through the many obstacles and challenges we’ve faced, we know that it’s our faith in God plus truly believing in the business that we continue pushing forward. That faith plus a never-quit mindset has gotten us to fund the project, receive our liquor, and open our doors to serve Kansas City!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Privee Restaurant and Lounge, aka PriveeKC, is a dining experience unknown to the Kansas City area. Our concept is to create a vibe while enjoying good food by bringing together fine dining and upscale lounge experiences in one building. We like to call it “Vibe Dining,” which creates a unique dining experience for all to come and enjoy. We pride ourselves on offering a diverse establishment.

We aim to provide exceptional customer service to those we serve through a selection of choice fine dining and lounge experiences. We are missioned to serve by delivering an elite location featuring a beautiful atmosphere and ambiance especially curated for Kansas City. We offer craft cocktails, steaks, a seafood-focused dinner menu with vegetarian options, and a weekend brunch menu with live music, DJs, and other entertainment to provide a vibe not found at other fine dining establishments.

Our menu was designed by our Executive Chef, Jonathan Wilson. Chef Jonnie is a native of Grenada and has perfected his skills in kitchens nationally and internationally. He has been a key part of developing 5-star restaurants in New York City, Europe, and South Florida. His culinary skills and mastery of managing a fine dining establishment are unmatched. He is currently the Executive Chef for two of the finest and most sought-after restaurants in Miami. Both of which boost a lively, unique atmosphere similar to PriveeKC. It is truly a privilege to have him in Kansas City to bring us a combination of unique flavors from across the world while satisfying the local pallets as well. He specializes in preparing many brunches, lunches, dinners, and, of course, we must remember desserts.

Additionally, we have our Sous Chef, Jonathan Heflin. Chef Heff is a native of Kansas City and is well-recognized throughout the city for his catering events and menu. Currently, he serves as the Executive Chef of “Heff’s House: A Southern Kitchen,” where he continues to push the boundaries of traditional cuisine with his unique and flavorful creations. His culinary expertise has made him one of the most in-demand caterers in the city, with clients clamoring for his delicious and inventive dishes for their events. Through his passion, creativity, and dedication to the culinary arts, he has established himself as one of the rising stars of the Kansas City food scene. His unique and flavorful dishes have delighted countless diners, and his influence on the local culinary scene will continue growing for years.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The restaurant industry is one of the most impacted industries coming out of the pandemic, and the effects of the crisis are still relevant to this day. The primary lesson we’ve learned from the crisis is to have industry reps more involved with business conversations to have their ideas included. We’ve learned there’s value in having those on the front line an avenue to express their experiences with customers and the food.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://priveekc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priveekc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089800195336

Image Credits
Parker Hamrick, Instagram: @Hamrickreative