Grinders closes two locations outside KC. What does it mean for regional expansion plan?

After opening in the East Crossroads in 2004, Grinders restaurant got a big boost when its co-founder Stretch — whose legal name is Jeff Rumaner — made some crowd-pleasing appearances on the Food Network.

Soon there was a Grinders West next door and Grinders Stonewall in Lenexa. And then, in 2015, Grinders High Noon opened in Leavenworth.

The locations are known for their New York-style pizzas, Philly cheesesteaks and Death Wings.

By 2018, Rumaner was not only getting ready to open a Lawrence location, he was looking for franchisees for regional locations — Omaha and Lincoln in Nebraska; Manhattan, Kansas; St. Joseph, Missouri; and Tulsa, Oklahoma — and nationwide.

But the two locations outside the Kansas City metro have now closed.

Grinders LFK opened in downtown Lawrence in July 2018. A year later it temporarily shuttered to tweak the concept in an attempt to make it more appealing to professionals and families. It reopened in September with a new management team.

But not for long. The Lawrence location shut down table service Sunday and closed permanently Tuesday.

It posted a notice on the Grinders Lawrence Facebook page: “We would like to thank all that helped in the reopening of Grinders Lawrence. We want to thank all of the wonderful employees and customers as well as the musicians that filled this place with the laughs, music and cheers. By far the coolest place I have ever been a part of. Thank you again Lawrence. Signing off.”

Fans posted comments: “One of my favorite places in all of Lawrence - sad.” “Really sorry to hear this! Very cool and very friendly place!”

Rumaner blamed some of the problems on the city of Lawrence.

“It started with the city holding us up for four months. The city with rules and regulations, the signage, it took a long time to get stuff passed,” he said. “It never got off the ground. We just never got the sales we needed. Unless you are on Mass Street you don’t exist.”

The 20,000-square-foot Leavenworth location, Grinders High Noon, closed in September. Rumaner still owns the building, and two former Grinders employees opened M&J Chow Hall in the space in mid-October.

“We bought it for the brewery. But we stopped brewing about eight months ago with all the other breweries opening,” Rumaner said. “Without the brewery, it just didn’t make sense to keep Grinders out there. Our numbers didn’t match what they needed them to match. Grinders ran its course in that market.”

Rumaner’s Facebook response to the closing was even more forthright. He said it “was a tough decision, but we could not keep the standard of Grinders in this location. Seemed every day there was drama. ... I think the town’s trolls really need to look at what kind of damage they can do to a business in ‘their’ community.”

Still, Rumaner has plans to expand the concept.

“Now that those locations are not on my books it makes Grinders stronger,” he said. “If it is good food it can work anywhere.”