by Mary Wilson
A popular restaurant in Grandview has been serving up more
than chicken wings since opening last April. Wingz and More owners Chris Ray
and Katie Benner have been busy making a name for themselves in the community,
thanks to the power of social media.
Having known each other for a few years, Ray and Benner, who
grew up in Kansas City and Grandview respectively, were looking at business
opportunities to pursue in the area. They did some planning and research based
on the needs of the community, and ultimately settled on opening a restaurant.
“We knew a chicken wing place was here before and was a fan
favorite,” said Benner. “So, we started to look around and see what venues were
available that might work for us.”
The duo began negotiations to find a home in the new
Truman’s Marketplace shopping center redevelopment when they found the current
location just across Blue Ridge.
“This location works out really well for us and the business
and is much better suited for us,” said Benner. “Chris began working on recipes
for the menu, while I worked on the back office side of things.”
Benner and Ray have worked various charity events together
in the past, and knew that giving back to the community would remain a priority
in their business endeavors.
“It’s something simple that we could do, especially with
food,” said Benner. “Everyone has to eat.”
Ray suggested a lasagna dinner, where community members were
invited via social media to come and have a meal, no charge, no questions
asked. A tip jar that sits on the counter at Wingz and More is labeled “for the
needy.”
“For our first shot at something like that, we had a fair
number of people here,” said Benner. “With the tips, whether someone drops the
change given back to them or larger bills, our customers are always
contributing to those funds that we can then turn around and use for those
meals that we provide.”
The lasagna dinner, only being advertised through social
media and word of mouth, provided a warm, full meal for those in need in the
community. On Facebook, the post for the dinner was shared 62 times, and talked
about in various groups. That morning of the dinner, Ray also visited some
areas in the community where he knew homeless and hungry people live and
invited them to the restaurant.
“I thought about putting a sign out to advertise it as
well,” said Ray. “I figure, if people are going to come in and take advantage
of it, that’s not really my cross to bear. I won’t turn anybody away.”
While he’s more inclined to provide the meals outside of the
major holiday seasons, he does understand there is a need during Thanksgiving
and Christmas, and he has plans in the works to help fill that need. Ray has
also begun working with the Grandview High School football program, helping
provide food for the athletes to help alleviate the burden to the parents.
“You can’t expect kids to perform on a football field if
they haven’t eaten,” said Benner. “A few from the team have even interviewed
for jobs with us.”
Two young men from Grandview were recently hired part-time
at the restaurant. Ray said he was pleasantly surprised by the mannerisms and
overall maturity of the teammates from Grandview he has met.
Passionate about education and providing for the community,
Ray ran for the Hickman Mills School Board a few years ago, losing the election
by only 30 votes. Benner’s mother is a former teacher at Santa Fe.
Wingz and More has received rave reviews on social media,
and has only advertised themselves through different media outlets, but Brenner
said they’ve found the most luck through Facebook. On a local rant/rave page,
Wingz and More is possibly one of the top-reviewed businesses within the last
several months since they opened.
“We are so far ahead of where we thought we’d be at this
point,” said Ray. “We had decent projections which we’re surpassing majorly. It
is a good problem to have.”
Wingz and More is located at 11902 S Blue Ridge, Suite C, in
Grandview. They are open daily on Monday for dinner from 4-9, Tuesday through
Thursday for lunch and dinner from 11-9, Friday and Saturday for lunch and
dinner from 11-10, and Sunday for lunch and dinner from 12-7. They also have
meeting space available and catering options.
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