Restaurant owner: Tenant-landlord relationship key to success

A business inside another business might seem different to some, but for restaurant owners, it can mean a built-in clientele.

For Scott Nickel, who co-owns Jayhawk Corner Cafe inside Jayhawk Tower with his wife, Truanna, most of his customers come from the offices in the building at 700 S.W. Jackson.

Its a matter of reading your demographic, Nickel said. I knew very few people would come in off the streets, and we have people who do. But our primary customers people in the building. Its 80 or 90 percent.

Nickel also owns the Brickyard Barn Inn, a bed and breakfast in North Topeka.

There was a fellow that preceded us, Nickel said about the previous owners of restaurants before Jayhawk Corner Cafe was opened. He was here for 16, 17 years. Then, between him and us, there was a lady who tried to do a German thing here. They had the lease for six months. They had a restaurant for about two months total, and even in the middle of that, changed the concept once.

Nickel and his wife have been running the cafe for nearly five years. He said he thought some of his success from the cafe came from thinking small. Ultimately, he said running a business inside of another business comes down to the manager or landlord of the building and the owner of the secondary business.

Their (the manager and landlord of the building) goal was to support the people in this building with a little lunch thing, Nickel said. People who walk in the building, they like a cup of coffee.

Nickel said he works well with the operators of the building, which has made running the restaurant easier. He said the buffet-style lunch, lower pricing and small waitstaff have helped keep costs low. The food is prepared every day at Brickyard and shuttled to the cafe. We dont even do tips, he said. I pay my staff a full salary.

The construction downtown hasnt affected the cafe at all, Nickel said. He and his wife run a catering business, which brings in the most business with the cafe, since they use a ballroom right off the restaurant. Ray Moorhead, operator of Henrys Grill inside Historic Harley-Davidson of Topeka, 2047 S.W. Topeka Blvd., said the restaurant isnt the only business at the bike shop there is also a barbershop and insurance company. Henrys Grill leases space from the shop.

We have a very loyal following, Moorhead said. Its a great marriage we complement each other.

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Restaurant owner: Tenant-landlord relationship key to success