Downtown restaurant to open new location in west Lawrence; signs of another retail expansion on south Iowa

A decorated dollar bill at Jefferson's Restaurant.

Wet wipes in west Lawrence: stock up while you can. I’ve gotten word that Jefferson’s, a downtown restaurant that specializes in hot wings and other such delicacies that sometimes cause a fellow to need wet wipes, a dry cleaner and a power washer, is opening a west Lawrence location.

Brandon Graham, an owner of the Lawrence Jefferson’s at 743 Massachusetts has confirmed to me that the restaurant has signed a deal to add a new location near Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive. The restaurant is going into space that has seen a string of restaurants, most recently Legends sports bar and grill, and previously places such as Tanner’s, Bambinos and others.

“We love the demographics out there,” Graham said. “Myself and my business partner both have young families, and know lots and lots of people with young families who live out there. We’re really interested in serving them.”

Graham said he thinks having an established brand go into the space will help as well. Graham stressed that Jefferson’s would continue to operate its restaurant in downtown. The west Lawrence space will be designed to serve folks who don’t often make it to that location. The west Lawrence location will have several of the same features as the downtown location, including the tradition of decorated one dollar bills that customers hang on the walls and such, Graham said.

The biggest thing that will be the same is the menu. Graham said the west Lawrence location will have the same offerings as the downtown location. That means a heavy emphasis on chicken wings, with about a dozen different sauce combinations.

“Wings definitely are our calling card,” Graham said.

Other major menu items include lots of hamburgers, oysters on the half-shell, and when I’m feeling my body tell me it needs some veggies, I’ll be able to turn to options such as breaded corn nuggets or a delicacy known as fried pickles. As I remind the doctor doing the cardiogram, they are vegetables. The restaurant also has about a half-dozen salads as well, which I think is an acquired taste. (When I make mine at home, they always come out of the fryer kind of wilted.)

Graham is hoping for a quick opening at the west Lawrence location. The lease was signed on the property earlier this week, construction work already has begun, and Graham hopes to be open within 60 days.

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In other news and notes from around town:

• Those of you who keep a close eye on all things chicken wings perhaps have noticed a sign that concerns you. There is a “for lease” sign in front of the Buffalo Wild Wings at 27th and Iowa street. No, Buffalo Wild Wings isn’t going anywhere. Instead, the small shopping center building that houses the restaurant and an adjacent tanning salon is expanding.

Allison Vance Moore with the Lawrence Colliers International office has the listing on the location, and she tells me that plans are to add 3,000 square feet of space on the north end of the building. She said the development group is seeking something other than a restaurant to go in the space. No word yet on possible tenants, but she said interest in the intersection is strong, as Buffalo Wild Wings, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, the Boot Barn and other new retailers have made the intersection more of a destination shopping spot.

My understanding is the 3,000 square foot expansion has all the City Hall approvals it needs. My recollection is it was included in the original plans, but was never built. I’ll keep you updated as I hear a tenant for the location.

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