Congratulations on being voted the “Best of Lawrence”! How does it feel to receive this recognition from the community?

It’s an absolute honor to receive the Best of Lawrence award for Best Wings. Lawrence obviously has an amazing restaurant culture and to be chosen out of all the worthy contenders is really special. It was a goal we set for ourselves when the kitchen opened at R Bar almost nine years ago. We’ve kinda steadily climbed that ladder over the years and we can’t thank our customers enough for their support and help getting us to the top spot. It’s really their award as much as ours. We always knew that putting all the extra time and effort into making wings would set RBar apart. Around 24 hours goes into brining, smoking and charring these unique never-fried full wings.

What do you believe sets your business apart?

The atmosphere and service is something we pride ourselves on at RBar & Patio. With a huge patio and 3 garage doors, it gives a wide open feel for you and your friends inside or out.

Most of R staff sticks around for years so you almost always see a familiar face behind the bar.

As far as our chickens wings are concerned it’s the process. A lot of wings are just fried and then tossed in sauce. We brine our chicken overnight then smoke them for several hours. After that we toss them in our own sauce then char-grill them so the sauce is grilled onto the wing. The result is tender flavorful wings that practically fall off the bone.

Businesses face challenges as well. Can you discuss a significant hurdle your business has overcome and the lessons learned from it?

Like most of the restaurant and bar industry 2020 was very hard on us. We really just tried to make sure we used the time we were closed productively. We painted, redecorated, reworked our menu and overall just tried to improve the place. I think the lesson was inconveniences don’t have to be setbacks. There’s always a path forward even if it’s difficult to find sometimes.

Are there any upcoming projects, events, or initiatives that you’re excited about and would like the community to know?

We’re actually getting ready to rework our menu again this summer and are pretty excited about introducing some new options we haven’t had before. But don’t worry the wings aren’t changing. We’re smarter than that. 🙂

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to create their own successful ventures?

The first step is the hardest. Just deciding to go ahead and do it. It’s like jumping off the high dive for the first time as a kid. It’s scary, but once you take the plunge as long as you keep kicking you’ll find yourself with your head back above the water.

What role does employee training and development play in maintaining the level of excellence your business is known for?

I believe that having 2 owners that are here every day running the front of house and the kitchen is very important to keeping continuity and building the future of RBar & Patio. Making sure the staff knows that we are here to help them and aren’t afraid to do the hard work with them has built an amazing RBar family over the last 13 years.

What do you believe has been the biggest contributor to your business’s growth and reputation in the Lawrence area?

Consistency. Making sure the food is always good. The drinks are always cold, and the service is on point. We’re not going to be perfect everyday but we’re always striving to provide a positive experience for our customers.