Two members of longtime Wichita metal band teaming up to open a pub that also serves pizza
The guitarist and bass player from a recognizable Wichita metal band are teaming up to open a pub that will offer drinks and food — with a focus on pizza.
Kevin Kinkelaar and Derek Ludewick, both founding members of the band KingShifter, are now the founding owners of JJ Beard’s Pub & Pizza. The business is expected to open in the next several weeks — September at the latest — in the space at 3827 W. 13th St. that has been home to a string of Mexican restaurants over the past several years, most recently La Sufrida Mexican Grill.
Though KingShifter is on hiatus, the longtime bandmates recently decided to go forward with a dream they’ve had for more than a decade — opening a bar where people could hang out and enjoy adult beverages.
Though JJ. Beard’s will have a food menu that includes not only pizza but also burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings and bar-friendly appetizers, it’s not a restaurant per se, Kinkelaar said.
The partners prefer to call it a “pub.”
“Essentially, we’re opening a bar,” he said. “. . .We’re not a steakhouse. We’re not a dive bar, either. We’re trying to achieve something in the middle.”
Though this is the duo’s first foray into restaurant ownership, both have experience in the industry. Kinkelaar managed a Pizza Shuttle in Lawrence in the 1990s. Ludewick once managed a bar.
The two had been “casually” looking for the right location for some time when they found the spot in Woodbridge Center, the strip center on the southeast corner of 13th and West.
“We had tried a couple of places that just didn’t work out. This place eventually worked out,” Kinkelaar said. “We think it’s a great location... This side of town is great.”
The bar side of the business will carry local beers and a limited tap selection. It will also have a full bar that offers a few signature drinks.
The pizzas will be 10 inches, similar to the style Pizza Shuttle offers, and the pub will offer all the standard toppings. It also will serve a Reuben pizza.
The owners have installed a pool table, and they hope to eventually have live acoustic performers in the bar or offer karaoke.
The pub’s initial hours will likely be 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, though it will close earlier on Sundays. The owners hope to add lunch hours pretty quickly after they open.
The space JJ Beard’s is taking over was occupied by Los Cabos Cantina & Grill before La Sufrida took it over last summer. Before that, it was home to Los Compadres Mexican Grill. The space also was the longtime home of Maggie’s Scotch & Soda.
One interesting side note: Kinkelaar and I attended elementary school together in Dodge City in the 1980s. I hadn’t seen him in more than 30 years and was surprised when he was the one who returned my message when I asked for more information about the business.
And yes, he does have an epic beard.
Newton residents lament town’s latest restaurant closing — this one after only 8 months
Inventor of Wichita’s Famous No. 8 sandwich is retiring but leaving business in good hands
Flashback Friday: 50-year-old Clifton Square building has housed every kind of restaurant
