Johnny’s Tavern
“Rick has a penchant for developing partnerships, and he’s a really talented and bright guy. One of his strengths is that there’s no condition for love with Rick — he loves everybody. No matter what scale or environment you come from, he’s able to be a really, really good friend.”
BOB TUCKER, PRESIDENT, KANSAS RUGBY FOUNDATION
Rick Renfro is from KCMO and grew up in Prairie Village and graduated from SM West HS in 1974. Rick attended Ottawa University and transferred to KU in 1976, where he is still awaiting his degree.
On coming to Lawrence and KU, Rick found rugby. It has been a passion and major influence on his life. He needed to find a job so he could still play rugby. So Rick bought a local beer joint called Johnny’s Tavern from Johnny Wilson in 1978.
That was just until he could figure out what he would do in life. From the start it was a fun ride making new friends and learning on the job. Sure, there were bumps along the way. He enjoyed being around people and creating an atmosphere of fun. Being in the hospitality industry has turned into a lifelong career.
In 1982 he opened the “Up & Under” a private club upstairs at 401 North 2nd. In 1991 he and partners decided to expand with another rugby friend to the KC area at 119th in Overland Park. This started the model of incorporating staff into partners. There are now a total of thirteen Johnny’s and an upscale restaurant, J. Wilson’s. Every location has a managing partner on site that takes care of the thousand and one things that need to be done. They have twelve
What do you consider to be the most important attributes of a successful businessman/woman?
I think it is the same as being a successful person. Show up, surround yourself with good successful people. Be empathetic and try to see other viewpoints. What tips can you provide future business people to help them get through those early struggles?
There are always ups and downs in life. Don’t get too high or too low. Business and life are cycles and you need to realize if you hang in there things will change.
managing partners along with a Johnny’s Management team. They employ over 600 staff. With this team they are able to immerse themselves into each of the neighborhoods. This has been a priority. Providing jobs, a place to congregate, watch a game and share a meal. Being able to bring awareness about ways to help each community with fundraising for local causes has been the most rewarding. Collecting lifelong friends has been a goal and they feel like they have accomplished this. He has tried to bring different people together to maintain and improve our community.
He is involved with many organizations which include Life Member Kansas Jayhawk Rugby Club, Board Member of Lawrence Restaurant Association, Board Member of Lawrence Bar owners Association and was the Kansas City Restaurant Association Restaurateur of Year 2022.
He also supports and is involved in local organizations that include Tenants to Homeowners, Family Promise, Ballard Center, St. Pats Parade, North Lawrence Improvement Association, Lawrence Schools Foundation, Just Food and both High Schools. Rick is married to Nancy, and they have a son, Spencer, a daughter Taylor, a son-in-law Sam and grandson, Milo.
“The thing that stands out for me is just his basic humanity — his real willingness to not be afraid of people. He recognizes that he may not know exactly what a person’s position in society is or what they do on a daily basis, but he’s not afraid to find out. And I think that sense of humanity is a really compelling characteristic that I value in him immensely.”
CHUCK MAGREL, PROPRIETOR, FREE STATE BREWERY
Les Dreiling was born and raised in Gorham, Kansas, a small community located in Central Kansas. He was one of 6 children. He graduated from Fort Hays State University in May 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Les graduated from Louisiana State University, Graduate School of Banking of the South, in Baton Rouge, LA in 1990.
Les started his banking career as a management trainee with Associates in Hays, Kansas in May 1979 and transferred to the Lawrence office in 1980. In April 1981 he began his community banking career with Lawrence National Bank and served in various capacities in lending and business development until April 1991, when he became an Executive Vice President with The University National Bank (UNB) and started their commercial banking division. Les was a member of the Board of Directors for UNB and served as an officer of the holding company until September 2005. In January 2006, he was part of a group of local investors that purchased Lawrence Bank, what is now known as Great American Bank (Lawrence’s only locally owned bank) and he became the President and CEO, titles which he holds today.
“The best description of Les, I’d say, is that he’s very competitive — a great leader and mentor. He enjoys life to the fullest, is fun to be around, and loves to laugh and joke around a lot. ”
MARK GONZALES, EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT, GREAT AMERICAN
BANK
He is also a Board Member of First Financial Bancshares. Les Dreiling has served in various community functions as a 45-year resident of Lawrence. He was active in coaching little league baseball through the Dougal County Amateur Baseball Association and was a member of the Kiwanis group. He also served on the Board of Trustees for Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association and served as its President. He was a member of the Trustees of St. Margaret’s church and was on the finance committee that helped raise funds and build the church on West 6th Street. Les was a co-founder and former President of the Kansas University Baseball Diamond Club. He has been involved in the community in various fund-raising projects and was a teaching volunteer for Junior Achievement. He is currently a member of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.
Les is married to Alica Dreiling who is a retired Speech Language Pathologist with USD 497 and they recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Anthony and Jordan, two daughters in laws, Brooke and Taylor, and two wonderful granddaughters, Taylor and Camyrn.
What do you consider to be the most important attributes of a successful businessman/woman?
• Promptness is essential for a businessperson to be successful. Be on time for meetings, return phone calls or emails in a quick and professional manner, don’t wait days or put off the tough conversations or decisions.
• Attitude: I believe a positive attitude towards your internal and external clients will go a long way in helping you become a successful businessperson. Be a good team player, make those around you a better employee.
• Self-Starter: Have a desire to improve and learn, don’t wait for someone else to give you directions, recognize what needs to be done and take the initiative to do it yourself.
• Proactive: Take charge of situations and anticipate what may happen - I think successful businesspersons are more proactive than reactive.
So many businesses/careers struggle early on. What tips can you provide future business people to help them get through those early struggles?
Don’t be afraid to fail and learn from your failures. Also own up to your failures and don’t blame others, take responsibility for your failures.
Communicate with your coworkers and superiors to help assist in meeting your goals and the goals of your company.
Persevere - Just keep plugging away. As the days, months, and years go by, you will gain valuable experience from your past success and failures. When you’re in a position of management, remember the traits of your mentors, both good and bad, and incorporate the good into your style of management.
“After you’ve talked to him for 30 minutes, he knows more about you than you know about him — because he’s a good man with questions. He’s someone who’s anxious to meet you, anxious to hear what you’re trying to do, and to discern whether it’s a wise idea or not. He’s a helpful member of any team.
”
JOHN DOBBINS, PRESIDENT, TRAXENERGY INC.
Billy Mills Middle Cordley
Corpus Christi
Deerfield
Free State High School
Hillcrest
Langston Hughes
Lawrence High School
Lawrence Virtual School
Liberty Memorial Central Middle
New York
Prairie Park
Quail Run
Schwegler
Southwest Middle Sunflower
Sunset Hill
West Middle Woodlawn
At Junior Achievement, we believe in “possible.” Each day, we work to help young people discover what’s possible in their lives. We let them know it’s possible to invest in their future, to better understand how the world works, and pursue their dreams.
If you believe this, too, we invite you to join us in supporting the young people in our community. With your help, we can provide them with the skills and support they need to reach their full potential and become the best versions of themselves. Together, we can make a difference by empowering them to succeed while building a brighter future for all.
Make a profound difference in the youth of our community
Together we can empower young people to succeed
Contact Us at 785.841.8245 | debbie@kansasja.org or wendy@kansasja.org PO Box 1081 Lawrence, KS 66044
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