Is Papa Keno's Dead?

Posted by Dazie (Aileen Dingus) on May 21, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Drag. :(

Posted by MyName (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

wow, this isn't cool at all. Unlike Joe's I actually liked to eat there on a regular basis. What's next? Rudy's? Yello Sub?

Ugh, I think I'm going to have to learn to make greasy food at home now...

Posted by smerdyakov (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dang... I hope the employees got paid.

And if Rudy's sees a spike in bidness, I hope the whole economies of scale thing drops their price back down to where I can afford to eat there again.

Posted by nathan (Nathan Borror) on May 21, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dammit.

Posted by quisp (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Dang... I hope the employees got paid."

Seems unlikely-- he wasn't paying them BEFORE they closed down, so I kind of doubt he has the resources to pay them NOW.

Posted by matt (Matt Armstrong) on May 21, 2008 at 1:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh noes! Where do I go now for my face sized slices?!?

Posted by wbabbit (Will Babbit) on May 21, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My mom would be so pissed...

Posted by El_Borak (Bill Hoyt) on May 21, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

They took out Taco Tico down here in Fort Scott about a year ago, for ostensibly the same reason.

Forget Uncle Sam. Aunt Kath gonna git her money.

Posted by lesleydiane (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

About time. That's what you get for not paying rent OR your employees.

Posted by duplenty (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Great. How long will it be before we get a chain store bullshit factory in that spot?

Posted by braden_quinn (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Lame!...I love Keno's, its a Lawrence Staple.

Posted by hankscorpio74 (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 3:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

this was inevitable
everyone that knew anyone who worked their probably heard about what a nightmare that place had become
over the last few months they've had half a dozen managers quit, probably a dozen or two employees as well
an electrical fire revealed the building desperately needed to be brought up to code
none of the employees get paid on time or at their contracted wage (its become quite the "negotiation" process)
there have been many days the store opened a few hours late... other times not at all
they've run out of pizza (well, cheese on one occasion) and just shut down early
i even personally saw the owner hit one of his employees and chase him off the property
i know some of their employees had stayed the course and really wanted to get the place back on track
but you can't say that this was much of a surprise

Posted by Mama (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 3:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Too bad, the 'za USED to be nummy....but last few times - not so much.

And while many townies might say it would such to get another corporate "chainstore bullsh*t factory" in the space, you can bet the corporate dudes would at least probably be paying their employees...and rent!

Posted by Mama (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

sorry, that is "it would *suck*" to get another corporate...

Posted by feeble (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Papa Keno's is a franchise, right? So does this only affects the Lawrence store?

Also:
possible related story from feb:
http://www.myfoxkc.com/myfox/MyFox/pages...

Posted by beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) on May 21, 2008 at 5:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh no! Honestly, I haven't been there much in recent years, but it's been the only place in the area that I can get NY style pizza when the craving hits. Though, the last time I had it, I didn't think it was nearly as special...

Good link, feeble. The owner seems like a piece of work!

Posted by mtoplikar (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

beatle
If you're looking for good NY style pizza, you should go check out Johnny's (just over the bridge in north Lawrence). I don't think you can get it by the slice, but it's pretty damn good and has the thin & crispy crust you're looking for. The last time I checked they had a reasonably priced Monday special.
Personally, Rudy's is my choice of za if I had to pick a favorite.

Posted by edie_ (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Didn't pay workers, didn't pay rent, didn't pay taxes....where did all the money go, up his nose? I know that place got business, despite Bob Segar being on rotation there. It was crawling with people every time I passed by and showed the facade my super deluxe finger.

Replay Lounge employees report that he's been banned from there for harassing women and fighting the door workers when they told him to leave.

I hope the place isn't taken over by a corporate chain. But why should we have to depend on a front like Keno's to hold it down? The real problem is that the rent downtown is not affordable for independent businesses.

Posted by Shelby (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 10:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

any word on the KC metro area locations?

Posted by Gung (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 10:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well thats a relief! Im afraid to eat at places where the employees are disgruntled... Which is the case for ALL Kenos locations.

Who would want to work for a buisiness that allowed pay checks to bounce on a regular basis?

The PROBLEM isn't that the downtown rent is too much ( at least not in this case ..how much does dough and canned tomato paste cost anyway?) The PROBLEM this time around is that the "white stuff" costs too much.

Posted by OtherJoel (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 10:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Shelby, if you're in KC, the Bronx is the way to go. But it seems as if Keenan's fucking things up in KC as well, so the whole chain's days are probably numbered. From a couple of months ago:

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news...

"Papa Keno's Pizzeria opened in Waldo less than a year ago but recently has been "temporarily closed" for remodeling. Owner Greg Keenan said it could reopen as early as today but declined to comment further.

Meanwhile, the Westport Papa Keno's is sporting two signs. One says: closed for remodeling and spring cleaning; the other: for lease. So which is it?

"We still hold on to the lease," Keenan said. "We're not completely sure of the status of that store."

But landlord Brent Lambi said he has filed to evict the pizzeria at 417 Wesport Road. "

Posted by faceplant (anonymous) on May 22, 2008 at 12:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The first time I visited Lawrence I ate at Keno's. I became a regular every 2 days to the point that they didn't ask my name for a order. 10 years later I had noticed the decline in service. My wife and I joked that when Keno's starting saying..."No kid keno's we are out of half the ingredients." we knew it was because of the rumors about the tax thing.
Sad, if it is true that papa had a coke problem. This was a KC/Lawrence pizza worth it's ratings. Every friend/family member/and noobs that are friends of mine always loved Keno's when I took them.
R.I.P. Keno's .....I feel like Lawrence just lost one of the troopers of the old school.

Posted by duplenty (anonymous) on May 22, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mama - Everyone wants employees to be paid correctly and on-time, but come on: Lawrence is a great town because it's not like every other midwestern town - you ever been to Columbia?

We DO NOT NEED (or want) a downtown with corporate chains back to back to back (we have enough as it is).

Posted by marktrail (anonymous) on May 22, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

at least no more keno's kickball thems were jerks

Posted by md_pinks (anonymous) on May 23, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

hopefully someone opens a Gambino's in it's place cause that would be sweet. it would be funny if they opened anything other than a pizza shop since there is no way in hell they're getting rid of the smell of that place.

Posted by godjilla (Jill Ensley) on May 23, 2008 at 2:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Now the bad 'tudes make sense.

And all I can think of now when looking at that photo, with Eagle Eyes Surveillance proudly displayed, is this article:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/sto...

Posted by chaosfreak007 (anonymous) on May 23, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The pizza was ok but if people realized how much of a tool the owner was and the way he treated his employees you wouldn't feel so bad that this place went under. He probably should just pay his taxes and employees.

Posted by thomgreen (anonymous) on May 23, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh to have some disposable income. This would be great to buy. There's lot's of potential there.

Posted by BARRBARR (anonymous) on May 26, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Seriously....FUCK KENO'S! I worked there the last month of it's operation. More stress and drama in 4 weeks than I could possibly imagine. I couldn't pay my rent, because he NEVER paid me. Who supports local business that treat downtown and people like their personal urinal. If this place does survive, DO NOT SUPPORT THIS SLEAZE BAG! - JBARR

Posted by ladylaw (Terry Bush) on May 26, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For those who did not get paid their wages, there is a Kansas agency (Dept of Labor) that can take your wage claim and try to get some $$ out of the assets. After tax debts, wage claims have a very high piority, so it's at least worth your time to file the paper work. You have nothing to lose (but some time) AND it may result in you eventually getting paid some (if not all) of lost wages due to you! See http://www.dol.ks.gov/ES/HTML/wage_DEE.h... for the info on how to file a wage claim.l

Posted by momsy (anonymous) on May 26, 2008 at 6:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Greg Keenan needs to pay my fucking friends, and stop taking advantage of good people.

Posted by kentuckychrome (anonymous) on May 27, 2008 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

the ones in KC (at least Westport and Overland Park) are SEIZED SEIZED SEIZED SEIZED SEIZED!

Last few times I went there, it was pretty awful (dry & flavorless) anyway. Wheat State, Waldo Pizza, and Rudy's all get my biz.

Posted by Tarrant (anonymous) on May 28, 2008 at 10:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just an update. From the rumor mill downtown - Papa's will be open Thursday by dinner time or Friday by lunch depending on how long it takes to get things going again.