2015 Best of Lawrence by Sunflower Publishing

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Contents

10-29 | BEST | FOOD & DINING: New Restaurant, Caterer, Grocery Store, Coffee or Tea Shop, Delivery, Pizza, Breakfast Spot, Barbecue, Hamburger, Place to Watch a Game, Outdoor Dining, Fast Food, Overall Restaurant, Mexican Food, Dessert, Bakery, Sandwich 30-45 | BEST | Community: Teacher K-12, Bank, Place to Hold an Event, Credit Union, Mature Living, Hotel, Local Store Owner, New Business, Place for Children’s Birthday, Art Gallery, Small Place to Work, Local Event, Large Place to Work, Nonprofit 48-64 | BEST | Health & Fitness: Orthodontist, Golf Course, Spa, Pediatrician, Dentist, Chiropractor, Gym, Family Doctor, Eyewear, Sports Medicine 66-80 | BEST | Shopping: Bike Shop, Pet Store, Shoe Store, Unique Store, Bookstore, Window Display, Men’s Clothing Store, Floral Store, Garden Store, Women’s Clothing Store, Gift Shop, Place to Buy a Car (New), KU Souvenir 82-95 | BEST | Services: Auto Collision Repair, Landscaping, Barber, Insurance Agent, Lawyer, Realtor, Veterinarian, Plumber, Electrician, Photographer, Pet Care, Handyman 96-107 | BEST | Entertainment & Nightlife: Happy Hour, Tattoo Shop, Live Music Venue, Wine List, Liquor Store, Bartender, Local Band, Bar 4

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Published by:

645 New Hampshire | Lawrence, KS 66044 | www.ljworld.com

General Manager Scott Stanford Advertising Manager Kathleen Johnson Editors Kim Callahan, Katy Ibsen, Jon Ralston

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Congratulations

This is our third Best of Lawrence magazine, and the annual survey is more popular than ever. We set several records this year, including:

Most survey participants. Most categories.

165

A little bit about how the Best of Lawrence is conducted. From March 1 through March 31, we surveyed residents on every subject imaginable from the best hamburger to the best dentist. Survey participation is conducted online and is limited to one ballot per registered user. Much of the survey is multiple choice; however, most questions

Best of Lawrence 2015

Most total votes.

257,002 401 Unique businesses or organizations are represented among the top three in this year’s survey.

allow for write-in answers. This year, we received more than 47,000 writein votes. Many of the write-ins will be added as multiple-choice answers in next year’s survey. The survey is divided into six themes: food and dining, community, health and fitness, services, shopping, and entertainment and nightlife. One thing that was new this year – we added a number of survey questions that were suggested by readers. Examples include best tattoo shop and best automotive collision

Finally, at...

112 pages This is the largest Best of Lawrence magazine we have ever produced. repair. We are open to adding more categories in the future. If you have suggestions for new categories, please email ajacobs@ ljworld.com. Lawrence is a special community, and much of the credit for that goes to the shops and restaurants that distinguish it from others its size. Such businesses deserve to be celebrated, and that’s one of the major intents of the 2015 Best of Lawrence magazine. We hope you find it as helpful and fun as we intended it to be. — Scott Stanford, General Manager

Making the best cover for the Best of Lawrence is no easy feat. From conception to design — it must make a splash (with or without bubbles). Thank you to our gracious models: Rick Martin, Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar; TK Peterson, Merchants Pub & Plate; and Meg Heriford, Ladybird Diner for popping champagne in celebration (seen on page 4). Another thank you to Brittany Long, the chalk artist whose work appears on the 2015 cover. All photos by Nick Krug.

Food & Dining

Best of Lawrence 2015

Jason Dailey

New restaurant New Restaurant Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar Mi Ranchito

“It’s time to have a place that you could have dang good coffee and a great cherry pie.”

Ladybird Diner

721 Massachusetts St. • (785) 856-5239 “Our objective is to be lively and approachable,” says Ladybird Diner owner Meg Heriford. “Ladybird is staffed by friendly, energetic people. It’s a little family.” Ladybird is her first restaurant endeavor, and Heriford says she designed the menu and atmosphere after her own heart. The nostalgic offerings — everything from hamburgers and shakes to pancakes and omelets — are sure to remind customers of homemade cooking. “The base menu is me; that was my input,” Heriford says. “Scratch cooking and Americana appeal — that’s really my roots.” Heriford says Ladybird’s daily specials, which are dreamed up by staff and rotate daily with dishes from Germany to Mexico, along with the classic diner food, offer customers a satisfying experience. “From Southwestern dishes to Midwestern grandmother, it all sort of melts together into

this American diner experience,” Heriford says. To complete the “diner experience,” Ladybird prides itself on its pies and pastries. With combinations like gooseberry apricot and blueberry basil, along with classics like Ladybird’s best-seller, coconut creme, Heriford says she’s proud to serve the community a slice of what she thinks they’ve been missing. “There wasn’t a place to get a piece of pie in this town that wasn’t corporate,” Heriford says. “We sat down and thought, ‘It’s time to have a place that you could have dang good coffee and a great cherry pie.’” — Caitlin Doornbos Editor’s note: In March, Ladybird Diner was affected by a fire at a neighboring business, causing the restaurant to close its doors for renovations because of smoke damage. Ladybird plans to reopen in summer 2015. Lawrence.com

Food & Dining

Caterer Maceli’s

1031 New Hampshire St. • (785) 331-2096 Steve Maceli’s catering business has grown a lot since the days of moonlighting his friends’ wedding receptions. In its 20 years in business, Maceli’s has gone from a one-man caterer to a staff of about 30 people. “This is a very large family business,” says Maceli. With its evolution, the cuisine has gotten more sophisticated, Maceli says. Executive Chef Dave Nigro joined the culinary team six months ago, and has since been putting his own twist on things. “Dave is one of the newest additions to the family, and I would say that he has initiated a retooling of all our culinary offerings,” Maceli says. “We’re very excited about our new cuisine.” These days Maceli’s offers more than wedding catering, which represents

only about 30 percent of its business. The rest of its catering is for business gatherings and private or community meetings. A lot of that is repeat business, Maceli says, from groups such as Altrusa, Nerd Night or Cosmopolitan Club, which host regular meetings at Maceli’s. Maceli’s downtown venue offers a private dining room and a large party room, accommodating groups from 25 to 400 people. Maceli’s will also cater events of all sizes at other venues, including private homes. What makes Maceli’s a success, he says, is being multifaceted: offering good food, service, venue and price. “When you add everything up, we are the best combination of all of the above,” he says. — Rochelle Valverde

Thank you

for voting us one of the Best of Lawrence

947 Massachusetts Street Lawrence KS 66044 Phone 785-832-0100

fivebarandtables.com

Mike Yoder

Caterer TIE: Culinaria and Evan Williams Catering Mr. Bacon BBQ

What makes Maceli’s a success is … offering good food, service, venue and price.

Richard Gwin

Grocery Store “We have learned to grow by continuing to listen very closely to what our customers want.” The red cursive logo is a familiar one around town. Voted best grocery, Dillons, with its four locations in Lawrence, offers quality as well as quantity. The strategy for success at Dillons is a customer-first mantra. “We have learned to grow by continuing to listen very closely to what our customers want and adapting and changing based on their feedback,” says Dana Knott, Dillons customer communications manager. Knott says offerings like sushi, freshly brewed Starbucks coffee and gourmet cheeses are all examples of identifying and responding to consumer trends. Focusing on the customer is what makes

Dillons

1740 Massachusetts St. • (785) 842-2942 3000 W. Sixth St. • (785) 843-0652 1015 W. 23rd St. • (785) 841-3366 4701 W. Sixth St. • (785) 838-0100

Dillons a Lawrence favorite, Knott says, and it’s the store associates who make that difference. “Our associates really try to focus on meeting or exceeding what our customers want, whether that be a dinner for a special occasion, flowers or a birthday cake,” she says. Dillons opened its first store in Lawrence in 1960 at its current Massachusetts Street location. In 2012, the building was torn down and replaced with a modernized store. The other three Dillons stores in town, at Sixth and Wakarusa, Sixth and Lawrence Avenue and on 23rd Street, have also been renovated or expanded in the last several years. — Rochelle Valverde

Grocery Store Checkers Hy-Vee

Lawrence.com

tea Shop

La Prima Tazza

638 Massachusetts St. • (785) 832-2233 Alchemy Coffee & Bake House

La Prima Tazza has a lot to celebrate these days. In addition to its Best of Lawrence recognition, the first and oldest gourmet coffee shop in town is turning 25 this year, and Rob Schulte couldn’t be happier. “It feels terrific — especially since I took over as manager less than a year ago — seeing that people love this place so much and they want everyone else to know they love it,” Schulte says. The shop, which boasts nearly 20 varieties of coffee, is a coffee

lover’s dream, attracting everyone from hipsters, college students, townies and the business community. “Everyone can come here, and whatever time they come, it’s a different spot,” Schulte says. “From the students who come at 8 o’clock to closing time for studying to the Saturday morning workout crew who comes in to re-energize to the people who hang out here to read — you can make it anything you want.” La Prima Tazza’s cacao blend and Ethiopian coffees remain

Starbucks

best-sellers, while the Peruvian iced coffee, once found only on the shop’s secret menu, is starting to pick up steam. When it comes to specialty drinks, there’s no topping the popular Grasshopper, a crème de menthe-flavored beverage that can be ordered hot or iced. You’ll find it, along with other La Prima Tazza classics, listed on the large chalkboard menu. “You can always come in and find something new,” Schulte says. — Joanna Hlavacek

Nick Krug

Food & Dining

Coffee

“You can always come in and find something new.”

HUNGRY FOR CHINESE?

BEST TAKE OUT & BEST CHINESE FOOD NOT ALWAYS DELIVERED BY NINJAS

www.jadegardenonline.com 843-8650 Orchards Corner at Bob Billings and Kasold

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speed is what sets us apart.â&#x20AC;?

Jimmy Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

922 Massachusetts St. â&#x20AC;˘ (785) 841-0111 1720 W. 23rd St. â&#x20AC;˘ (785) 838-3737 601 Kasold Drive â&#x20AC;˘ (785) 331-2222 Pizza Shuttle Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get confused that a gourmet sandwich has to be complicated. In fact, the crews at Jimmy Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gourmet Sandwiches work hard to keep it simple. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We try not to be complicated,â&#x20AC;? says Russell Hacker, general manager for Jimmy Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Lawrence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We focus on making the same perfect sandwich every time, and making it as quick as we can.â&#x20AC;? Speed definitely is a focus at Jimmy

Food & Dining

Delivery Ramen Bowls

Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which topped the Best of Lawrence delivery category this year. Hacker says the restaurant takes pride in its delivery program, which covers essentially all areas of Lawrence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speed is what sets us apart,â&#x20AC;? Hacker says. The company also focuses on specialization. Jimmy Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has a policy of having a menu that includes only sandwiches and sides. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to

Thank you, Lawrence!

do salads, lettuce wraps or other entrees. The menu includes more than a halfdozen specialty sandwiches, another half-dozen single-meat sandwiches, and about a dozen â&#x20AC;&#x153;giant club sandwiches,â&#x20AC;? including favorites such as the Ultimate Porker and the Billy Club. The company operates three restaurants in Lawrence, making sandwich cravings easy to cure. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Chad Lawhorn

r r r r r r

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Food & Dining

Pizza Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar

814 Massachusetts St. • (785) 856-2825 Papa Keno’s Pizzeria

Minsky’s Pizza

College towns are famously chock-full of pizza — fantastic pizza. But not pizza like a Neoprairie pizza. In fact, even big cities here or abroad would be hard-pressed to claim anything quite like the Italymeets-Midwest farmhouse pies at Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar, which opened in April 2014. Chef and owner Rick Martin calls it “Neoprairie”; Neapolitan-style pizza, with a Kansas spin. The Neapolitan part — a flat, from-scratch crust so simple yet so scrumptious you hardly need toppings — comes from baking the pizzas next to an open wood flame inside a 20,000-pound European brick oven the restaurant calls “Maggie.” Super-high heat caramelizes toppings and tinges the crust with char. “That develops a lot of flavor, unlike any other pizza that’s just baking to melt the cheese and get the crust to rise,” Martin says. “It really is amazing

what 850 degrees will do to a spear of asparagus or a chanterelle mushroom.” Asparagus, chanterelles and other local, seasonal ingredients account for the Kansas spin. Martin says 54 percent of Limestone’s purchases are locally sourced. Simple combinations help those ingredients shine. Limestone’s Margherita pizza is a fan favorite, topped with tomato sauce, house-made mozzarella and basil oil. His personal favorite, Martin says, is the greens pizza. Seasonal greens — including beet tops in the fall, chard through the winter and local spinach when it becomes available in spring — top Gruyere, reduced cream and cracked pepper. Sure, cheap, greasy, typical college-town pizza delivered after midnight is good, but Limestone pizza is a whole new category of good. — Sara Shepherd

Sara Shepherd

“It really is amazing what 850 degrees will do to a spear of asparagus or a chanterelle mushroom.”

Muchas Gracias for voting for us! Best Mexican Food Best Margarita Best Burrito Best Taco

Thank you for voting us one of Lawrence’s Best Banks!

Plenty of TVs for great views of the games!

Commitment to our customers has been and will always be top priority. Call, click, or come by to discover how we combine products and people to not only meet, but exceed your local banking expectations.

3333 S. Iowa St, Lawrence, KS (In Front of the Movie Theater)

785-331-2500 • www.elpotrokc.com

commercebank.com / 785.865.4799

Jason Dailey

Breakfast Spot The Roost

920 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-1110 As breakfast out and weekend brunch have exploded in popularity, so, too, have out-of-thebox creations on morning menus. At the same time — perhaps with breakfast more than any other meal — the basics still reign. The Roost tries to offer the best of both worlds. Consistency, service, good coffee and no-fuss combos seem to be what keep most diners coming back to the Roost for breakfast, coowner Kenny Pingleton says. Pingleton guesses that the restaurant’s bestseller is its simple “Kansan” breakfast combo: two eggs, the Roost’s signature thick-sliced pecan wood-smoked bacon or sausage, toast and breakfast potatoes. More whimsical diners can get outdoorsy with the Campfire Breakfast (eggs with cornbread and pinto beans), go south of the border with Chorizo and Eggs or channel

a champagne-brunch with three kinds of “Bennys:” traditional, tomato and avocado, or smoked salmon eggs Benedict. The Roost’s made-in-house baked goods range from old-fashioned cinnamon rolls and carrot cake to jumbo handmade marshmallows and lemon-lavender cake. One more thing that elevates a Roost breakfast from the typical diner: an array of “Collaboration Coffees” (the collaborator being the bar) and other breakfast-appropriate handcrafted cocktails, including no fewer than six versions of the bloody mary. The Roost has popular homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and macaroni and cheese on the lunch menu, but the breakfast menu never gets taken away. “Throughout the day,” Pingleton says, “breakfast is still the biggest seller.” — Sara Shepherd

Breakfast Spot Big Biscuit Ladybird Diner

Lawrence.com

Food & Dining

Barbecue Bigg’s

2429 Iowa St. • (785) 856-2550 719 Massachusetts St. • (785) 841-6400 Biemer’s BBQ

Hog Wild Pit Bar-B-Q Jason Dailey

Since 2004, Bigg’s has strived to serve quality barbecue in a region of the country that takes ribs and pulled pork very seriously, says owner Doug Holliday. Crafting sauces, smoking meats and preparing much of the food in house is no easy task, but the long-standing restaurant is up to it. “It’s a labor of love, and we enjoy doing it,” Holliday says. Every day the restaurant makes its own barbecue egg rolls, stuffed jalapenos, french fries, onion rings and more.

Holliday says aside from the baby-back ribs, his favorite item on the menu is the stuffed jalapenos. “What’s really good is the sweet Thai chili sauce we serve it with,” he says. “You could eat that stuff on pancakes.” Along with its signature food, the restaurant aims to present a family atmosphere. Bigg’s ensures a top-notch barbecue experience by listening to customer suggestions. “When you’re a local restaurant like we are, you can get immediate feedback from

your guests and find out what their wants or needs are,” he says. “We feel like we’re really in tuned to our guests.” The proof is in the pudding, or rather in the sauce. Holliday, a Kansas University graduate, recognizes customers as former KU students back in town with their children. “We’ve made a lot of friends over the years. People come in from out of town, maybe once or twice a year, and they come to us,” he says. — Conrad Swanson

THANK YOU for voting us Best Happy Hour!

Hand Crafted Award Winning Beers Catering & Banquets Open 11am Daily

3512 Clinton Parkway, Lawrence

Hamburger The Burger Stand

803 Massachusetts St. • (785) 856-0543 Dempsey’s Burger Pub

Burgers by Bigg’s Jason Dailey

While the fries at The Burger Stand at the Casbah have become as well-known a food in Lawrence as any other, don’t look past the dish that gave this downtown staple its name. With seven burgers on the menu — the Fire, Barnyard Bash chicken sandwich, and Black and Blue iterations are fan favorites — and a catalog of specials rolling in and out, The Burger Stand continues as a local master of burger-making. Part of the reason behind it is its relentless pursuit of tasty flavors, says owner Simon Bates. Sauces (like the habanero-cactus jam and the chipotle-cocoa ketchup) are made from scratch. Fresh-baked buns are trucked in every day from Kansas City. If the restaurant finds a better cheddar cheese to use, it’ll use it without upping

the price on the menu. “We’re using the highest-quality ingredients that we can, and I feel like everyone else doesn’t do that,” Bates says. “We put our flavors first. We want to make the burger taste better.” While the menu mainstays are enough to attract a following, The Burger Stand’s specials also can get people in the door “an unbelievable amount of times” a week, says general manager Beau Bruns. Regulars will sometimes demand that a sandwich be immortalized on the menu (a few, like the catfish po’boy and the Barnyard Bash, have taken the leap). “We’d have 600 items” on the regular menu, Bruns says, if everyone’s favorite made it. — Elliot Hughes

“We put our flavors first. We want to make the burger taste better.”

THANKS, LAWRENCE for your votes as Best Grocery Store, Best Local Owner and Best Produce!

Your Local City Market!

23RD & LOUISIANA, LAWRENCE, KS Locally owned & operated since 1987

checkersfoods.com “Like” us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter @CheckersFoods!

Food & Dining

Restaurant To watch a Game Buffalo Wild Wings

2624 Iowa St., Suite A • (785) 865-1616 If you thought Buffalo Wild Wings was a good place to watch a game at its former location, you should see it now. The Lawrence Buffalo Wild Wings relocated from downtown to its new Iowa Street location in December, says Craig Miller, operations general manager. In addition to the menu of hot wings and beer it’s always had, the new location has a lot more space. And that means a lot more TVs for watching sports. Buffalo Wild Wings boasts 65 TVs at its new location, Miller says. Eight of those are on the patio, which has space for 18 tables. “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” he says. Obviously, Kansas University games are a big draw at Buffalo Wild Wings. Miller says it’s also a popular destination for watching Royals, Chiefs, NBA and even NHL games. To go along with the game, the restaurant serves its signature wings — choose from 16 sauces, sweet to “Blazin’” hot — other bar and grill items and plenty of cold beer. The restaurant has Wing Tuesdays and Boneless Thursdays wing specials, plus Happy Hour from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. True to the Buffalo Wild Wings motto, Miller says, customers are there for the atmosphere: “wings, beer and sports.” — Sara Shepherd

Restaurant to watch a game Johnny’s Tavern West Henry T’s

Bill Stephens

Best of Lawrence 2015

Outdoor Dining When the weather warms up, Cielito Lindo co-owner José Lopez says he knows to expect the masses. A term of endearment in Spanish, “Cielito Lindo” literally translates as “pretty little sky” or “heaven.” And for those dining on the Mexican restaurant’s spacious patio, the restaurant is aptly named, with plenty of sunshine and sky to kick back and relax beneath during a warm day. Lopez says in addition to the vast menu and popular margaritas, the patio area is a major draw. “People like the patio because during the winter they’re always inside,” Lopez says. “Business picks up with the warm weather and we see a big difference (in sales.)” Having an outdoor seating area allows customers a little more

freedom in their dining experience, Lopez says. The restaurant allows pets to join their owners for lunch or dinner outside. Customers can also smoke, dance to merengue music and enjoy the occasional live outdoor performance. “Relaxation is important to our atmosphere,” Lopez says. “We have a guy coming to play guitar and we’ve seen (customers) dancing through the windows.” But Lopez said it is not just the patio, food and beverages customers come for; he attributes much of Cielito’s success to his servers, who know many customers’ names. “We have a great staff working here,” Lopez says. The restaurant also boasts a colorful inside dining area. — Caitlin Doornbos

La Tropicana

715

Cielito Lindo

815 New Hampshire St. • (785) 832-1545

Bill Stephens

Thank you Lawrence.

We have the best customers!

As always, support all of our locally owned garden centers.

Come by the greenhouse for all your garden and planting needs. 1320 N. 3rd - NORTH LAWRENCE North of east turnpike exchange

Call 749-0302

M-F 9-6 Sat 8:30-5:30 Sun 12-5

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Food & Dining

Fast Food Chipotle Mexican Grill

911 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-8800 4000 W. Sixth St. • (785) 843-1510 1420 W. 23rd St. • (785) 312-9081

“It’s the quality. That’s what brings people back.”

In a category flooded with quick and cheap value meals, Chipotle keeps its focus on fresh food, served promptly and with exceptional customer service, says Miranda Rice, assistant manager of the Massachusetts Street location. “It’s the quality. That’s what brings people back,” Rice says. “Which definitely means a lot more work. Everything we make is fresh daily.” Multiple deliveries each week enable Chipotle to keep wholesome food in stock. Restaurant chefs dice tomatoes for their salsa and make their guacamole in house daily, Rice says. “We go through a lot of both, too,” she adds. “We’re putting in that effort every day.” One of the most popular items on the menu is the Quesarito, a combination of a quesadilla and a burrito. “People are still coming back a year and a half after we started,” she says of the Quesarito. One of Rice’s personal favorites is one of the simplest: the crispy shell tacos. Unlike other fast food establishments, patrons can customize their dining experience at Chipotle. Add a side of friendly employees, and the entire experience is reinventing fast food. “You have to start from within in order to give it to other people,” Rice says. “We want people to enjoy coming into work and to stay here, being happy.” — Conrad Swanson

Fast Food Runza Culver’s

Mike Yoder

Best of Lawrence 2015

Jason Dailey

Overall Restaurant Free State Brewing Company

636 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-4555 Free State Brewing Company isn’t just a good restaurant — it’s a Lawrence tradition. After pushing for a change to Kansas law, proprietor Chuck Magerl opened Free State, as locals call it, in 1989 as the first legal brewery in the state in more than 100 years. Naturally, its famous beer has remained a staple. Free State usually has 12 to 16 beers on tap, most brewed right behind a big glass wall inside the restaurant, with a few brewed only blocks away at Free State’s production plant, Magerl says. The brews range from light and easy patio-sippers (Wheat State Golden is a go-to) to dark and brooding hard-core-beer-nerdpleasers. IBUs, hop strains and other brewing details are available on the menu, online or in many cases from your server. Magerl says Free

State has multiple staffers who have cicerone certifications (like a sommelier, but for beer). Menu items are designed to pair well with beer and in some cases are actually made with it, such as Free State’s famous cheddar ale soup. Daily specials keep dining options fresh. Magerl says Free State aims to be part of the community through events ranging from little sidewalk concerts to the massive annual Brew to Brew race. In historic brewhouse style, Free State is a place where you can dine with a large group or make friends with other diners at the bar. “In the ideal world, going out for food and drink is a social situation,” Magerl says. “The ability to have food and drink, and service and companionship — it all works together.” — Sara Shepherd

Overall Restaurant 715 Merchants Pub & Plate

Lawrence.com

El Potro

3333 Iowa St. • (785) 331-2500 Mi Ranchito

In a sea of dining options it can be difficult to stand out. But El Potro is setting itself apart from other Lawrence eateries by focusing on food and service. “Everything has to come together,” says manager Victor Alvarez. “Give [diners] good service and good food and the people will come back.” Easier said than done, Alvarez admits, but a successful restaurant cannot have one without the other. First and foremost is the food. Much of El Potro’s menu is made in house and from scratch. Bringing a unique flavor to the menu options is a great way to make an impression, Alvarez says.

Thanks Lawrence

Cielito Lindo

“We make every sauce, every marinade,” he says. “Every day they’re made fresh.” Many of the restaurant’s recipes are closely guarded secrets, he says. Aside from quality food, Alvarez says, it’s just as important to provide consistent and quality customer service. One way to do that is by showing customers that the employees take pride in their work. That sense of pride translates to a positive dining experience. “Sometimes you get a rush and it can be difficult, but everyone is happy here,” Alvarez says. “They keep smiling, all the time; it helps the customers to come back.” — Conrad Swanson

Sara Shepherd

Food & Dining

Mexican Food

“We make every sauce, every marinade. Every day they’re made fresh.”

for voting for us in the

Best Place to Watch A Game Category

1511 W. 23rd St., Lawrence, KS 66046 (785) 841-8881

www.orientalbistrolawrence.com

VOTED MOST ICONIC BAR IN STATE OF KANSAS by Thrillist.com NINE LOCATIONS

Johnny’s Lawrence

401 N. 2nd Street Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Oriental Bistro & Grill is not just Chinese food. We have a fantastic variety of authentic Asian cuisine. We have Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese style food. We offer carryout and delivery throughout Lawrence.

Sunday 11:00am - 9:00pm Monday - Thursday 11:00am - 9:30pm Friday and Saturday 11:00am - 10:00pm

Best Secret Menu and Chinese Food!!

Johnny’s West

721 Wakarusa (SE Corner) Lawrence, Kansas 66049

johnnystavern.com

for helping make make us the

Best of Lawrence!

Dessert Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream

1014 Massachusetts St. (785) 832-8323

Thank You Lawrence FOR VOTING US

On any given day, Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream can go through eight full buckets of handmade waffle cones and as many as 30 buckets of homemade ice cream. Not bad for a business that doesn’t have an advertising budget. “We used to advertise, but we just kind of lost touch with doing it,” says owner Sarah England. “Now, when most people come back it’s just by word of mouth.” The ice cream parlor runs local specials, offering buyone-get-one deals for students and free treats for parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. For the past 18 years Sylas & Maddy’s has been a Lawrence dessert institution with the line frequently snaking out the door. Even with the recent resurgence of frozen yogurt and gelato shops, England says, the ice cream shop holds its own. “Now we’re starting to do dairy free and sherbets, freezes and creamsicles, limeades, lemonades and smoothies,” she says. England has been around Sylas & Maddy’s since her parents opened the business when she was 10 years old. For England, the business is very much a family endeavor — ice cream made by her family and lovingly shared with yours. — Conrad Swanson

Orange Leaf

4931 W 6th Street, Suite 124 • Lawrence, KS 66049 Phone: (785) 856-2253 • www.eileenscookies.com

Thank You Lawrence for voting us Best of Lawrence for Best Wings and Best Place to Watch a Game

Cold Stone Creamery

785-749-2999

Jason Dailey Lawrence.com

3520 W 6th St. • Lawrence, KS 66049 ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.HENRYTS.COM

Food & Dining

Bakery WheatFields Bakery Café

904 Vermont St. • (785) 841-5553

“It’s really cool that we’re able to make everything in house and from scratch.” When many in Lawrence are just bedding down for the night, WheatFields Bakery Café employees are just showing up to work. General Manager Amy Savoie says WheatFields’ bakers often arrive between midnight and 1 in the morning on weekends. It’s a position that requires dedication and discipline. Despite the challenging hours, the bakery is up to the task. “We’re making a fresh product daily,” she says of the restaurant’s popular loaves, croissants, cakes and other goodies. “We’re a scratch bakery. And not a lot of people are doing this every day.” The team continues to offer fresh bread, pastries, sandwiches, salads and more day in and day out — and the community notices. “It’s really cool that we’re able to make everything in house and from scratch,” she says. Savoie says the restaurant’s dinner options have been attracting attention as well. Many of WheatFields’ products can be found outside of its downtown location. Businesses throughout Lawrence, and even one in Manhattan, purchase their breads and pastries from the bakery, says Savoie. “We also have a lot of folks that come in from Kansas City that buy 10 loaves and freeze them,” Savoie says. — Conrad Swanson

Bakery Munchers Bakery Great Harvest Bread Co.

Jason Dailey

Best of Lawrence 2015

for 20 years Cory Finley PhotograPhy

Creating Memories

Customized Catering with personalized attention to your unique event needs

1031 New Hampshire St. | 785.331.2096 | macelis.com

Food & Dining

Sandwich Yello Sub

1814 W. 23rd St. • (785) 843-6000 WheatFields Bakery Café

“We use quality ingredients, make bread from scratch, and we hire the kind of people who take pride in the restaurant.”

Nick Beck says he will likely be the general manager of Yello Sub until he’s 70 years old. Starting in the mid-1990s, Beck spent a seven-year stint working in the sandwich shop before pursuing a career change. In 2013, however, Beck found himself working once again at Yello Sub, and all was right with the world. “I felt like I was returning to the fold. It was good to come back,” he says. “People who work there take a lot of pride in what they do.” While there are other sandwich shops in Lawrence, Yello Sub tries to offer something the rest can’t. “We try to provide an experience when our customers come in,” he says. “We try to make it feel like it’s their place, their secret.”

Dillons

That secret includes a list of fresh ingredients, lovingly stacked on homemade buns with combinations you simply can’t find anywhere else. “We use quality ingredients, make bread from scratch, and we hire the kind of people who take pride in the restaurant,” he says. While Beck has a few years at Yello Sub under his belt, some have been there even longer, he says, including one baker who has worked at the restaurant for more than 25 years. Yello Sub’s longevity and continuing success are largely due to the employees, all of whom make up the best team Beck says he has ever worked with — in any job. — Conrad Swanson

American Cuisine 1. Free State Brewing Company 2. The Burger Stand 3. Ladybird Diner

Delivery 1. Jimmy John’s 2. Pizza Shuttle 3. Ramen Bowls

Lunch Spot 1. WheatFields Bakery Café 2. Terrabonne Po’ Boys 3. 715

Bakery 1. WheatFields Bakery Café 2. Munchers Bakery 3. Great Harvest Bread Co

Dessert 1. Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream 2. Ladybird Diner 3. WheatFields Bakery Café

Mexican Food 1. El Potro 2. Mi Ranchito 3. Cielito Lindo

Barbeque 1. Bigg’s 2. Biemer’s BBQ 3. Hog Wild Pit Bar-B-Q Barista 1. Chelsea Rae, The Roost 2. Regan Broadfoot, J&S Coffee 3. Adam Lott, The Bourgeois Pig BEst Restaurant Dish 1. The Bill Self, 23rd Street Brewery 2. Black Bean Quesadillas, Free State Brewing Company 3. Fish and Chips, Free State Brewing Company Breakfast Spot 1. The Roost 2. Big Biscuit 3. Ladybird Diner Burrito 1. Chipolte Mexican Grill 2. Burrito KING 3. El Potro Caterer 1. Maceli’s 2. TIE: Culinaria and Evan Williams Catering 3. Mr. Bacon BBQ Chef 1. Rick Martin, Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar 2. TK Peterson, Merchants Pub & Plate 3. Ken Baker, Pachamamas Chinese Food 1. Encore Café 2. Jade Garden 3. Oriental Bistro & Grill Coffee or Tea Shop 1. La Prima Tazza 2. Alchemy Coffee & Bake House 3. Starbucks Cookie 1. Eileen’s Colossal Cookies 2. Hot Box Cookies 3. WheatField’s Bakery Café

Diner 1. Ladybird Diner 2. Big Biscuit 3. Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Ethnic Market 1. The Merc Co-op 2. Au Marché 3. Mediterranean Market & Cafe Fast food 1. Chipotle Mexican Grill 2. Runza 3. Culver’s French Fries 1. The Burger Stand 2. McDonald’s 3. Runza Fresh Produce 1. Lawrence Farmers Market 2. Checkers 3. The Merc Co-op Grocery Store 1. Dillons 2. Checkers 3. Hy-Vee Hamburger 1. The Burger Stand 2. Dempsey’s Burger Pub 3. Burgers By Bigg’s Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt 1. Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream 2. Orange Leaf 3. Cold Stone Creamery Insian or Middle eastern Food 1. India Palace 2. Aladdin Cafe 3. Mediterranean Market & Cafe Italian food 1. The Basil Leaf Café 2. Paisano’s Ristorante 3. 715

New Restaurant 1. Ladybird Diner 2. Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar 3. Mi Ranchito Outdoor dining 1. Cielito Lindo 2. La Tropicana 3. 715 Overall Menu 1. Free State Brewing Company 2. 715 3. Merchant Pub & Plate Overall Restaurant 1. Free State Brewing Company 2. 715 3. Merchants Pub & Plate Pizza 1. Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar 2. Papa Keno’s Pizzeria 3. Minsky’s Pizza Place to get a pie 1. Ladybird Diner 2. Perkins Restaurant & bakery 3. The Roost Restaurant for kids 1. Ladybird Diner 2. Cici’s Pizza 3. Free State Brewing Company Restaurant to watch a game 1. Buffalo Wild Wings 2. Johnny’s Tavern West 3. Henry T’s

Food & Dining

And the winners are... Secret Menu 1. Oriental Bistro & Grill 2. TIE: Panda & Plum Garden and Cafe Beautiful 3. Burger Fi Steak 1. LongHorn Steakhouse 2. Six Mile Tavern & Chop House 3. 715 Sushi 1. Yokohama Sushi 2. Wa Japanese Restaurant 3. Kokoro Japanese Sushi & Steakhouse Tacos 1. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop 2. El Potro 3. TACO ZONE Take Out 1. Ramen Bowls 2. China House 3. TIE: Jade Garden and Thai-Siam Restaurant Thai Food 1. Zen Zero 2. Thai-Siam Restaurant 3. Baan Thai Restaurant Vegetarian or Vegan Food 1. Zen Zero 2. The Merc Co-op 3. Encore Café Waitstaff/Service 1. Free State Brewing Company 2. 715 3. The Roost Wings 1. Buffalo Wild Wings 2. Jefferson’s 3. Henry T’s

Salad 1. Ingredient 2. WheatField’s Bakery Café 3. Dillons Sandwich 1. Yello Sub 2. WheatFields Bakery Café 3. Jimmy John’s Seafood 1. Mariscos 2. 715 3. Merchants Pub & Plate

Lawrence.com

Community

Best of Lawrence 2015

“Your day is never the same. You’re rewarded just by watching them become successful.”

Mike Yoder

Teacher K-12 Jeanne Yantzie

Lawrence High School Teacher K-12 TIE: David Platt,

Lawrence High School

Paul Corcoran, West Middle School

TIE: Jessica Miescher-Lerner, Sunset Hill Elementary

Hilary Morton,

Free State High School

When Jeanne Yantzie left Nebraska for Kansas just five years ago, she didn’t know what the future held. But after working as a para-educator in the Lawrence school district, she almost immediately fell in love with special education. “I decided this was my new path,” Yantzie says. “I love working with the teachers and the kids and the staff.” A typical day for Yantzie involves working with special-education students on math or reading and on setting life goals. “I think by working with the students and preparing them for life after high school, because that transition is really hard, I’m just making sure they’re ready to take on the community and that the

community is ready to work with them,” she says. Yantzie often is the teacher or confidant who gives them the extra help they need, and she says it’s rewarding to see these students become valuable and positive members of the community. “They’re going to need the support and encouragement, whether it be academically or socially,” she says. Yantzie also encourages others to work in special education because of the unexpected rewards. “Your day is never the same,” she says. “You’re rewarded just by watching them become successful.” — Fally Afani Lawrence.com

Community

Bank Capitol Federal®

1025 Iowa St. • 1046 Vermont St. • (785) 749-9100 Commerce Bank

“We make an effort to know all our customers and welcome the opportunity to meet new customers.”

Capitol Federal is a homegrown Kansas bank, originating in Topeka in 1893. The first branch outside of the capital city opened in Lawrence in 1953. Today the Lawrence locations, named best bank, are part of the 47-branch network in Kansas and Missouri. The bank offers a long list of traditional and technological services and is proud of its long history of customer service. “We make an effort to know all our customers and welcome the opportunity to meet new customers. We become part of their family,” says Deborah Johnston, vice president and downtown branch manager. “Customers will stop by and say,

US Bank

‘Grandma brought me into this office when I was 7 years old, and now I’m on my second mortgage with you.’” Supporting the Lawrence community is also important to the bank. The bank backs organizations such as United Way, Relay for Life and Court Appointed Special Advocates. It also is in partnerships with the Kansas University School of Business, Prairie Park Elementary School, Lawrence High School and the public schools’ Lawrence Education Achievement Partners program. The Capitol Federal Foundation also helps fund many other services in the community. — Linda A. Ditch

Thank You Lawrence!!

“Best Real Estate Company”

Nicholas Lerner “Best Realtor!”

AskMcGrew.com 32

Best of Lawrence 2015

785.843.2055

Place To Hold AN Event A combination of rich history and interesting architecture are the perfect ingredients for an event atmosphere. Abe & Jake’s Landing has plenty of both, which is why people love throwing events at this one-of-a-kind venue. Abe & Jake’s is situated on the bank of the Kansas River in a building that once housed the Consolidated Barbed Wire Company. The space is named after two local fishermen who had a cabin next door, Abe Burns and Jake Washington. Today, Abe & Jake’s is home to five different spaces that can accommodate between 25 and 700 people. The spaces feature picturesque views of the river, plenty of natural light, exposed brick and hardwood floors. “The history and architecture, along with the rustic and vintage feel of the

Liberty Hall

building make Abe & Jake’s a unique space,” says Leila Ahvarhoush, event manager for Abe & Jake’s. “The venue also offers access to a patio overlooking the river, which people like.” Abe & Jake’s, popular for private receptions and parties, also hosts a number of public events and fundraisers, such as the annual Kansas Craft Beer Expo, the annual Gingerbread Festival benefiting Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the annual Catfish Fry benefiting Friends of the Kaw. While Abe & Jake’s has a great atmosphere, Ahvarhoush says the high-quality staff should not be overlooked. “Behind the scenes is a dedicated and caring staff that will ensure success to all events,” she said. — Liz Weslander

Abe & Jake’s Landing

8 E. Sixth St. • (785) 841-5855

Maceli’s Jason Dailey

Community

Truity Credit Union

What makes a credit union different from a traditional bank? Truity Credit Union regional vice president Ginger Wehner explains that, unlike a bank controlled by shareholders, Truity is a not-for-profit organization owned by members, much like a co-op. “All the profits go back to the members, either in more services available, higher dividends or lower loan rates,” she says. Truity is a full-service credit union, offering a host of benefits to members, including checking accounts, savings accounts, auto loans and mortgages. Wehner is especially proud of Truity’s technology offerings. Members can take advantage of Apple Pay, as well as remote check deposit, and mortgage applications are available online. Seeking to invest in the future, Truity gives back to its members with scholarships and contests throughout the year. The credit union also supports the community through sponsorships and education programs, plus financial contributions and staff volunteering. “Everything that we do, we do in the best interest of our members,” Wehner says. “We’re grateful for the community’s continued support and look forward to giving continued service in the years to come.” — Linda Ditch

Credit Union Meritrust Credit Union Mainstreet Credit Union

In the coming year, the focus will be on green spaces such as courtyards and enhanced gardening areas. Brandon Woods at Alvamar

1501 Inverness Drive • (785) 838-8000 Since opening in 1987, Brandon Woods at Alvamar has been popular with seniors in Douglas County. Brandon Woods features townhouses, independentand assisted-living apartments, a health center for rehabilitation services, long-term care and nursing memory care. Additionally, the community, spanning 30 acres in west Lawrence, offers outpatient rehabilitation and concierge services that allow individuals to remain independent for as long as possible. Add to that restaurant-style dining, in-home catering and room service in all areas of living and you have a recipe for success. “In the last year we have really focused on wellness programming,” says Donna Bell, executive director. “Lifestyle 360 is our new framework for wellness programming.” The program focuses on five dimensions of wellness: social wellness, physical wellness, intellectual wellness, emotional wellness and spiritual wellness. “We keep this model in mind as we develop very active programs and seek resident input on how they want life to be lived at Brandon Woods,” says Bell. In the coming year, the focus will be on green spaces such as courtyards and enhanced gardening areas. Residents will enjoy expanded menus, which will be customized even more to reflect needs and preferences of clients. “We will continue to open our doors to the community who have come to expect great fellowship, interesting educational events and outstanding food service from us,” Bell says. — Carolyn Kaberline

Mature Living Pioneer Ridge Assisted Living Nick Krug

Best of Lawrence 2015

Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

Mature Living

Credit Union

3400 W. Sixth St. 1300 W. 23rd St. 2221 W. 31st St. (785) 749-2224

LAWRENCE’S FIRST FAMILY PRACTICE AND WALK-IN MEDICAL CLINIC

Nancy Burt APRN, Darci Mathison APRN, Ronald Burt MD, David Dunlap MD, Steven Ramberg MD, Melissa Ferguson APRN

• Pediatric & Adult Medicine • Minor Emergency Care • Gynecological Care • Physical Exams • Dermatological Surgery • Fitness & Weight Loss • Laceration Repair • X-Ray & Fracture Care • Preventive Care & Screening • EKG & Stress Testing • Laboratory • Adult/child ADD/ADHD • FAA airman medical exams • Individual & Family Counseling

COMPLETE FAMILY CARE BY APPOINTMENT OR WALK-IN OUR FAMILY DOCTORS ARE BOARD CERTIFIED LET US BE YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER

APPOINTMENTS & WALK-IN WELCOME Open 7 days a week Monday - Saturday Sunday 8 am to 6 pm 1-5

Open 362 days a year

2323 RIDGE CT. LAWRENCE ONE BLOCK EAST OF 23RD & IOWA All Insurances Filed

865-5300

PHONE ANSWERED 24 HRS

We are honored to be named one of the Best Places toWork in Lawrence!

PENNINGTON & COMPANY FUNDRAISING I CONSULTING I ALUMNI RELATIONS

www.ﬁrstmedpa.com

Community

Hotel The Eldridge

701 Massachusetts St. • (785) 749-5011 The Oread

Lawrence’s Eldridge Hotel is among the most historic in Kansas. Built in 1925, The Eldridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and still has many of its original features. “You don’t see a building like this everywhere you go,” says Nancy Longhurst, the hotel’s general manager. “It’s fun and it’s who we are.” Today, The Eldridge has 48 hotel suites and houses TEN Restaurant and The Jayhawker, as well as its original 1920s ballroom (available to rent for group functions). Notable guests have included John Wayne and the entire cast of “Dark

Holiday Inn Lawrence

Command,” a film from 1940 based on Quantrill’s Raid. The original hotel at the site was famously burned in the raid in 1863. After two previous hotels were erected in its place, its namesake, Colonel Shalor Eldridge helped found today’s historic version. It’s even said that his ghost still roams the premises, with numerous sighting and stories of the supernatural. “People know who we are and they know we’re going to take great care of them,” Longhurst says. “We’re going to go the extra mile. That’s the beauty of being around for a long time.” — Bethaney Wallace

Sunflower Publishing

“We’re going to go the extra mile. That’s the beauty of being around for a long time.”

Being there is why I’m here. Kurt J Goeser Ins Agency Inc Kurt Goeser, Agent 1811 Wakarusa Drive, Ste 100 Lawrence, KS 66047 Bus: 785-843-0003

Hilltop Child Development Center

1605 Irving Hill Rd * Lawrence, KS 66045 P: 785-864-4940 * Email: hilltop@ku.edu * www.hilltop.ku.edu

Thank You for Your Support!!!

Whether you need a question answered, a problem solved, or a claim reported, my job is to make it happen. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. CALL ME TODAY.

Thank you Lawrence voters for recognizing our commitment to the community! P097193.1

State Farm, Home Oﬃce, Bloomington, IL

Bill Stephens

Local Store Owner Linda & Tom Cottin, Cottin’s Hardware & Rental

1832 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-2981 For Linda and Tom Cottin, the magic of owning a local business is in the customers. “Customer service supersedes all other duties,” Linda says. “This job wouldn’t be any fun if we didn’t have good customers” Linda and Tom are the owners of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental in downtown Lawrence and have been named best local store owners. Both grew up working in family hardware stores and have been running Cottin’s since 1992, when they purchased the store from Bob and Barbara Zimmerman. The Cottins’ commitment to customer service involves staying attentive to shoppers, special ordering products not in stock, and customizing items to the desires

of their customers, Linda says. But it also goes above and beyond hardware retailing. For instance, the Cottins hold a weekly farmers market at the store every Thursday with vendors, live music and beer. They also organize an annual scarecrow contest and auction to benefit local school gardens. And Linda is the author of “Fix-It Chick,” a Lawrence Journal-World home improvement column. “We want to support the customers and the community that support us,” Linda says. “We love Lawrence and are grateful to live here and be a part of the community.” — Liz Weslander

Local Store Owner Matt and Jennifer Richards, Made Jim Lewis, Checkers

“We love Lawrence and are grateful to live here and be a part of the community.” Lawrence.com

Community

New business

“This all came about as a result of pie.”

Ladybird Diner

721 Massachusetts St. • (785) 856-5239 Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar When Meg Heriford opened Ladybird Diner in August 2014, she didn’t expect to see 1,000 people come through her doors on opening weekend. Heriford knew Lawrence needed a spot to get Americana-style diner food, she said, but the degree of desire is “surreal.” “This all came about as a result of pie,” Heriford says, recalling the first time she had made buttermilk pie for 715, where she worked for five years as a server. “People were lining up for it. We couldn’t keep it in stock, and I couldn’t make it fast enough.” The momentum didn’t stop there. Heriford has been churning out triple berry, coconut cream, Mexican chocolate, blueberry rhubarb and many other flaky-crusted handmade pies on a regular basis to meet the demand of

Mass Street Soda

customers who want it by the slice — and by the whole pie. Ladybird Diner’s from-scratch fare has garnered so many accolades it’s been awarded Best of Lawrence 2015’s best new business. Heriford credits her success to the honest approach they’ve taken with serving up traditional nostalgic dishes inspired by different parts of the country. It’s not just burgers, fries, shakes and pies, which was the menu Heriford had originally dreamed up. “We’re certainly not reinventing the wheel in there; I mean, everyone’s had meatloaf before,” she says. “Hopefully at Ladybird there’s something for everyone that will remind them of a time when they were growing up.” — Nadia Imafidon

Thank You

Jason Dailey

Amyx Barber Shop

LAWRENCE

for 23 Great Years! • Established 1992 • Zero Pressure Sales • Relaxed Atmosphere • Solid, dependable and safe used cars at an affordable price

Johnny & Judy Inverarity 814 Iowa St. | Lawrence, KS 66044

www.johnnyisautosales.com

Thank you, Lawrence, for your continued support!

OPEN

7 Days A Week

WALK-INS

Welcome

842 1/2 Massachusetts

785-842-9425

John Young

PlaceFORChildren’s Birthday Lawrence Gymnastics and Athletics

4930 Legends Drive • (785) 865-0856 5150 Clinton Parkway (Dance & Cheer location) • (785) 749-1949 Children’s birthday parties should be fun for everyone, including the parents. That is the philosophy at Lawrence Gymnastics and Athletics, where birthday party packages come with a party host who supervises activities, runs the cakes and presents operation, and cleans up afterward. “We like to say that the parents’ only job is to take pictures and enjoy themselves,” says Randy Laggart, event coordinator. “It’s a lowstress experience for the parent.” The main event at LGA birthday parties is supervised play in the gym, which has trampolines, inflatables, a foam pit and other equipment.

“The foam pit is definitely our biggest draw,” Laggart says. “We are the only place in town with one. You can jump in and out of it.” Laggart says that LGA has hosted birthday parties for kids as young as 1 and as old as 18. The Clinton Parkway location is ideal for children under 5 because it has more equipment designed specifically for preschoolers, but both locations accommodate all ages. Laggart says that people wanting a specific date usually book about a month before the party but that he can sometimes book parties with as little as one week’s notice. — Liz Weslander

Place for children’s Birthday Laugh Out Loud Family Zone Sports Pavilion Lawrence

“We like to say that the parents’ only job is to take pictures and enjoy themselves.” Lawrence.com

Community

Art Gallery Lawrence Arts Center

940 New Hampshire St. • (785) 843-2787

A one-stop shop for performing arts, education and exhibitions, the Lawrence Arts Center engages with the community in a number of ways. And that’s probably why it has been voted Best of Lawrence 2015’s best art gallery. Ben Ahlvers, the center’s exhibitions director, says as a nonprofit the Arts Center doesn’t have the same limitations as a commercial space that relies on sales to keep its doors open. It allows Ahlvers to seek and display work that couldn’t necessarily function in those spaces but is relevant to the community. “We have a lot of freedom with what we can do with exhibitions,” he says. “We can do a wide range of projects with a wide range of approaches to putting on exhibitions and I

Spencer Museum of Art think that’s a real asset to this organization.” At the heart of each show is the desire to always bring something new and different to the walls of the center’s three galleries. From artistic medium to subject matter to the artists themselves, it’s about being representative of the diverse interests of the community. This could mean displaying paintings that are stunningly beautiful or bodies of ceramic work that are conceptually challenging, Ahlvers says. “The bottom line and the common denominator of everything is quality,” he says. “There’s going to be something that’s going to engage people and that can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.” — Nadia Imafidon

Sunflower Publishing

Phoenix Gallery

“We have a lot of freedom with what we can do with exhibitions.”

I NTERIOR P AINTING S PECIALTY W ALL F INISHES D RYWALL S ERVICES C EILING T EXTURES

C ABINETRY - N EW OR R EFINISH F URNITURE R EHAB /R EPURPOSE

E XTERIOR P AINTING S IDING /W OOD R EPLACEMENT W INDOW /D OOR R EPLACEMENT D ECK /F ENCE R EPAIR

D ECK /F ENCE S TAINING P OWER W ASHING

D ESIGN C OLOR C ONSULTING D ESIGN /D ECORATING S ERVICES

Thank You for Voting Us

Best Painting Service!

3010 F OUR W HEEL D R ., S TE . 1 L AWRENCE , KS 66047 (785) 423-4464 WWW . KBPAINTINGLLC . CO m

Nick Krug

Small Place To Work Pennington and Company

Fundraising is generally not an easy task, but at Pennington and Company, a fundraising consultation firm, it’s a rewarding one. Here a strong employee recognition program provides team members with incentives like paid time off for birthdays, a profit-sharing plan, cash bonuses and help in reaching individual dreams. It’s easy to see why it’s been named the best small business to work at in Lawrence. “We have a tremendous team,” says Rod Barleen, executive vice president. “As Pennington and Company has grown, we feel we have been successful in executing our vision for the company that includes fostering a culture that attracts and retains goal- and team-oriented people who are passionate about helping our clients and colleagues.” Monthly meetings recognize individual staff successes in securing major gifts, exceeding goals or other milestones. The “Raving Fan” award is based on staff nominations for positive referrals or client compliments.

501 Gateway Drive, Suite A • (785) 843-1661 In addition to the numerous awards and incentives offered, social outings — such as impromptu scavenger hunts, trips to Worlds of Fun or a Royals game, along with in-office fitness competitions and an annual Chili Cook-Off — help cement employees into a true team. “We also take time to recognize personal moments, such as wedding and baby showers, to celebrate our growing family,” Barleen says. ”We also strive to be an active participant in the Lawrence community.” With numerous opportunities for growth and recognition, Pennington and Company has found ways to create a loyal employee base and a promising atmosphere for continued success. — Carolyn Kaberline

Small Place to Work TIE: Liberty Hall and Lawrence Public Library Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop

“We have a tremendous team.” Lawrence.com

Lawrence Busker Festival

www.lawrencebuskerfest.com Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade

With Lawrence landing itself on last year’s Travel + Leisure’s list of quirkiest towns in America, it’s no surprise that the Lawrence Busker Festival was voted the best local event for the second year in a row. Its tagline touts the most talented “freaks, geeks, artists and musicians around.” The festival is a three-day event boasting street performers of the highest caliber. Richard Renner is the mastermind behind the madness, recruiting acts that draw more than 18,000 curious onlookers each year. This year will mark the eighth successful festival. “What makes it good for Lawrence is that it’s a nontraditional way of experience

Christmas on Massachusetts St.

performance,” Renner says. “And Lawrence is all about being nontraditional.” The free event takes street performance to the next level. On various stages and sidewalks in downtown Lawrence, find pogo acrobats, fire-eaters, sword swallowers, contortionists and many other unusual characters looking to entertain. Year after year the event grows and gains even more notoriety, Renner says. Worldrenowned street performers make their way to Lawrence to be a part of the festival that started on a $2,000 budget. Now with a $25,000 budget, it’s safe to say Lawrencians are adamant about keeping this weekend of weird an annual tradition. — Nadia Imafidon

John Young

Community

Local Event

“The most talented freaks, geeks, artists and musicians around.”

Experience the Crown Difference

Meet Miles Schnaer Owner Miles would like to thank the community for all of the support

PROUDLY SUPPORTS Kansas University t The Athena Award t Cottonwood’s Salute Chamber of Commerce’s Sand Trap Classic Lawrence Memorial Hospital t Lawrence Arts Center Educator of the Year Award t Bill Self’s Assist Foundation Van Go t Lied Center t KU Medical Center Leukemia Lymphoma Society of NE Kansas

785-843-7700 t 3400 S Iowa, Lawrence, KS

crownautomotive.com

Large Place To Work When it comes to naming the benefits that come with working at Kansas University, Easan Selvan needs very little prompting. “Earlier this year I got to see a sitting president speak,” says the chief of staff for Information Technology Services at KU. At a private-sector job, he continues, the day might end in a happy hour. His day on campus, however, could end with an engaging talk given by distinguished author Margaret Atwood. Not one day is like another, especially when he has access to such a large pool of accomplished faculty and staff. “At KU, I get to work with so many experts from so many different disciplines solving so many cool problems on the cutting edge of whatever field they’re working in; it’s

fascinating,” Selvan says. “I develop a new skill set every day.” With eight years of experience under his belt, Selvan has gone from desktop technician support (e.g., plugging in keyboards) to interacting with individuals across the country on issues facing technology in higher education. And it’s not just access to the experts on campus. As an employee at KU, he has access to the gym at Robinson Center, free of charge. He can purchase basketball tickets “for the greatest team in the NCAA.” He was even able to take Latin over his lunch hour, with tuition assistance, just because he had a personal interest. “That’s just not something that anybody else has ever been able to offer me,” he says. — Nadia Imafidon

Lawrence Memorial Hospital

The University of Kansas

1450 Jayhawk Blvd. • (785) 864-2700

Nick Krug

Lawrence Public Schools

THANK YOU LAWRENCE! The BEST Place for KU Gear and Gifts!

KU GEAR 30% OFF and GIFTS Expires 7/8/15

In-store Only, Standard Exclusions Apply, See Store for Details

The BEST Selection. The BEST Prices. For The World’s BEST Fans.

Community

Nonprofit Lawrence Humane Society

1805 E. 19th St. • (785) 843-6835

Since the 1890s, Lawrence has had some type of organization to watch out for unwanted or abused animals. Today that responsibility is handled by the Lawrence Humane Society, which was chartered in 1951. Executive Director Kate Meghji describes the nonprofit’s mission as “caring for animals other people don’t care about.” As the only shelter in Douglas County, the Humane Society provides housing for a variety of pets and rural animals from the city and county. Emergency on-call staff is available 24/7 to assist injured or stray animals in getting the care they need. The average length of time an animal stays at the Lawrence Humane Society decreased from 33-34 days in 2014 to fewer than 19 days in 2015. Next on the society’s agenda is to develop education programs outside the shelter and accumulate resources to help owners keep their pets. “People assume an animal in a shelter has something wrong with them,” Meghji says. “Usually they are animals that come in because of a housing or economic issue. An owner can no longer afford to keep their pet, or they need medical treatment they can’t afford. It can be very sad.” Meghji says plenty of pleasant moments also occur. “Someone lost a pet six months ago that we were able to track down by reading the animal’s microchip,” she says. “Or we find the perfect match of a pet to a new owner. Those are the happy times.” — Linda A. Ditch

Nonprofit Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Richard Gwin

Best of Lawrence 2015

Just Food

Art Gallery 1. Lawrence Arts Center 2. Phoenix Gallery 3. Spencer Museum of Art

Mature Living Community 1. Brandon Woods at Alvamar 2. Pioneer Ridge Assisted Living 3. Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

Artist 1. John Sebelius 2. TIE: Stan Herd and Louis Copt 3. Jason Barr

National Celebrity from Lawrence 1. Paul Rudd 2. Bill Self 3. Kathleen Sebelius

bank 1. Capitol Federal ® 2. Commerce Bank 3. US Bank Credit Union 1. Truity Credit Union 2. Meritrust Credit Union 3. Mainstreet Credit Union Family Fun 1. Lawrence Public Library 2. Royal Crest Lanes 3. Laugh Out Loud Family Zone Hotel 1. The Eldridge 2. The Oread 3. Holiday Inn Lawrence Local Blog, Facebook, Twitter or other Social Media Page 1. @Larryvillelife 2. Chad Lawhorn, Lawrence Journal World 3. F—— you, I’m from Kansas Facebook page local event 1. Lawrence Busker Festival 2. Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade 3. Christmas on Massachusetts Street Local non-profit 1. Lawrence Humane Society 2. Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence 3. Just Food Local Store Owner 1. Linda and Tom Cottin, Cottin’s Hardware & Rental 2. Matt and Jennifer Richards, Made 3. Jim Lewis, Checkers

new business 1. Ladybird Diner 2. Limestone pizza + kitchen + bar 3. Mass Street Soda Park 1. South Park 2. Clinton Lake State Park 3. Centennial Park Place of Worship 1. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 2. Corpus Christi Catholic Church 3. Plymouth Congregational Church

Community

And the winners are...

Place to work, small business less than 100 people 1. Pennington & Company 2. TIE: Liberty Hall and Lawrence Public Library 3. Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop Teacher K-1 1. Jeanne Yantzie, Lawrence High School 2. TIE: David Platt, Lawrence High School Paul Corcoran, West Middle School 3. TIE: Jessica Miescher-Lerner, Sunset Hill Elementary Hilary Morton, Free State High School

Teacher University 1. Mary Klayder, Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, University Honors Lecturer, KU 2. Stephen S. Ilardi, Associate Professor, Psychology, KU 3. TIE: Brian Staihr, Lecturer, Economics, KU Anne Patterson, Lecturer, Architecture, Design & Planning, KU Alice Lieberman, Professor, Center for Children & Families, KU Unsung HEro 1. Lawrence Fire and Medical 2. TIE: Brandon Eisman/Deja Brooks and Don “Red Dog” Gardner 3. Hank Booth

Place to have a kids Birthday Party 1. Lawrence Gymnastics and Athletics 2. Laugh Out Loud Family Zone 3. Sports Pavilion Lawrence Place to hold an Event 1. Abe & Jake’s Landing 2. Liberty Hall 3. Maceli’s Place to take an out-of-towner 1. Free State Brewing Company 2. Downtown Lawrence Inc. 3. Allen Fieldhouse Place to work, large business 100 or more people 1. The University of Kansas 2. Lawrence Memorial Hospital 3. Lawrence Public Schools

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829 Massachusetts • 785-842-8142

ORAL HEALTH DELIVERED: COMPASSIONATELY COMPREHENSIVELY CONVENIENTLY Marvin Heinbach, DDS

Jeff Larkin, DDS

(Open Monday-Saturday)

Come experience why nearly

4000 Patients

call us their dental home Thank you for once again voting us Best of Lawrence! 2013 2014 2015

Downtownlawrencedentist.com 10 East 9th Street • Suite C/D Lawrence • 785-749-2525

Health&Fitness

Best of Lawrence 2015

Emily Steele

Dr. Daniel Ranjbar looks at the people in his chair as patients, not consumers.

Orthodontist Oread Orthodontics McColm Orthodontics

Orthodontist Ranjbar Orthodontics

4828 Quail Crest Place • (785) 832-1844 Lawrence-based orthodontist Dr. Daniel Ranjbar looks at the people in his chair as patients, not consumers. “We treat them like family. We educate them so they understand the problem and what treatment is needed, if any; we’re not trying to sell a treatment,” he says. When treatment is necessary, clients can expect use of the latest in orthodontia methods and technology. For example, Ranjbar prefers to take scans of teeth, versus a mold, which is converted into a digital image for diagnosis. “Being able to scan teeth without impressions is well-received,” he says.

Ranjbar also treats about 30 percent of his patients with Invisalign, a method that uses a series of clear plastic retainers to straighten teeth. Ranjbar credits his team, many of whom have worked with the practice for more than 10 years, to keep patients comfortable. “I couldn’t do what I do without them,” Ranjbar says. “I need them to be high-functioning and skilled, and they are.” A top staff, up-to-date technology, and a strong education program all add up to Ranjbar Orthodontics being voted the Best of Lawrence. — Carolyn Kaberline Lawrence.com

Health & Fitness

Golf Course Alvamar Golf Course and Country Club

Paul Hooser, PGA Professional and head golf pro, is excited for his third season at Alvamar to get into full swing. An ownership change is pending. He’s unsure of what will happen and when, but he is sure that Alvamar, which features two 18-hole courses — the public Championship Course and the private Member’s Course — is geared up to welcome golfers. “The golf courses are the big reason — the No. 1 reason — why we’re successful here,” Hooser says. Golf course superintendent Kent Morgison and his maintenance team always keep the courses in great condition, Hooser adds. But it’s also an attitude. Golf can be an intimidating sport to the uninitiated. At Alvamar, Hooser and his team are making the game customer-friendly to the longtime member as well as to the newcomer. “We have a volunteer corps of 30 guys here, who at other places would be called marshals,” Hooser says. “We call them the ‘volunteer corps’ because they’re here to help golfers. Calling them ‘marshals’ sounds harsh for someone who is here to help.” For those interested in experiencing what’s been voted the best golf course in Lawrence, it’s easy to get a tee time, and it’s affordable. For the smallest crowds, Hooser suggests visiting the course in the mid- to late-morning, or early- to midafternoon Tuesday through Thursday. The cost for nine holes is $15 for those willing to walk, $30 to rent a cart. The course also offers student, senior and military discounts. — Seth Jones

Nick Krug

1809 Crossgate Drive • (785) 841-1907

At Alvamar, Hooser and his team are making the game customerfriendly to the longtime member as well as to the newcomer. 50

Best of Lawrence 2015

Golf Course Eagle Bend Golf Course Lawrence Country Club

Spa Salon Di Marco

733 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-0044 as owners five years ago. Seven days a week they strive to create a satisfying and individualized experience, no matter how small or quick the service, they say. They have attempted to find the best staff available, honing their team of about 25 so that each can excel in his or her specialty. “We get into different [salon service] areas,” he says. “Anything the client might need.” — Bethaney Wallace

Jason Dailey

Pampered, relaxed, beautiful: Those are just some of the customer goals put forth by Salon Di Marco, a full-service salon and spa in downtown Lawrence. Offering everything from skin care to hair care, to waxing, manicures, pedicures and more, Salon Di Marco draws clientele from all age groups. “We try to do our best to fulfill all the needs that our clients have,” says owner Carlos Castillo. The business opened in 2001. Castillo and his wife, Jackie, took over

“We try to do our best to fulfill all the needs that our clients have.” TIE: Massage Envy Spa and Sensora Spa

Lada Salon & Spa

Peak Performance Health Center We would like to take this opportunity to thank our patients for their continued support and for voting us Best of Lawrence Chiropractor. We are both honored and humbled by the conﬁdence our patients have shown us over the years. Come experience how Active Release Therapy, innovative rehab, and a personalized approach to addressing pain and injuries, are why over 4000 patients trust Peak Performance for their care. son Robin y b b A . r Dr. Rob Jones, Ronda & Rene, and D

Best of Lawrence Chiropractor 3 Years Running!

3120 Mesa Way #A | Lawrence • 785-842-7325 w w w. p e a k p e r f o r m a n c e h e a l t h c e n t e r. c o m

Health & Fitness

Pediatrician Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, PA

346 Maine St. • 4824 Quail Crest Place • (785) 842-4477

“We are able to provide a doctor with the bedside manner to fit best with any parent and patient.” Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, PA has been around since 1976, modernizing steadily through the decades. Besides caring for patients from birth to 18 years, the practice offers such services as a walk-in clinic Monday (Maine Street location) and a weight management clinic led by a dietitian each Tuesday. Office manager Geoff Coburn thinks the practice’s popularity has to do with its five doctors and two midlevel practitioners (a physician’s assistant and a nurse practitioner). “We are able to provide a doctor with the bedside manner to fit best with any parent and patient,” Coburn says. “Parents can find

a medical home that fits their child’s needs and conditions.” The doctors also service the pediatric needs of Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Kids like seeing each of the exam rooms decorated in a different theme, from baseball and maps, to zoo animals and ocean scenes. The waiting room was recently redecorated in sports themes, focusing mainly on soccer and basketball. “We have to pay homage to Lawrence,” Coburn says. “We hope to offer subtle encouragement for kids to become more active.” — Linda Ditch

Googols of Learning Child Development Center www.googolsoflearning.com*785-856-6002

Pediatrician Lawrence Pediatrics, PA Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics

Emmalee Schaumburg

Visit Us s Online

www.thedentistsinlawrence.com sinlawrencee.com .ccom

Located in beautiful downtown Lawrence 831 Vermont Street, Lawrence, KS 785•843•6060

Brian C. Wilkerson, D.D.S. Michelle Saunders, D.D.S. Justin R. Anderson, D.D.S. Lesley R. Nellor, D.D.S.

Thank you to all of our wonderful patients who voted for us as the Best Dental Ofﬁce in Lawrence! Caring & Modern Dentistry for Your Entire Family!

New Patients Always Welcome!

Home of the Best Patients in ALL of Kansas!

Thank You FOR CHOOSING US AS ONE OF THE BEST OF LAWRENCE IN

SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICAL/OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SURGEONS NURSES WE ARE HONORED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 43 YEARS & GROWING STRONG!

Your Comprehensive Orthopaedic Care... In One Convenient Location. Evaluation & Treatment • MRI • Surgical Center • Rehabilitation Services

1112 W. 6th Street, Ste 124 | Lawrence, KS | (785) 843-9125

___ www.OrthoKansasLLC.com ___

PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

PHYSICAL & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS

Dentist Heinbach Larkin DDS

10 E. Ninth St., Suite C/D • (785) 749-2525 Customizing care, emphasizing prevention and establishing a “layer of trust” are important principles at Heinbach Larkin DDS. Along with their staff — many of whom have 20plus years experience in the practice — dentists Marvin Heinbach and Jeff Larkin also emphasize putting people at ease. “When [patients] come in they get a sense that we’re professional, yet we also try to make it an environment where people enjoy coming to the dentist,” Heinbach says. “They realize we have a little bit of fun while trying to do a good job at the same time, which is a hard thing to balance, but I think we do a pretty good job with that.” In 2014 the practice added a dentist, Jeff Larkin. Larkin, Heinbach says, possesses the exact characteristics he was seeking for the practice. “He’s a personable guy,” Heinbach says. “He cares about people. He’s outgoing. He’s just a good, quality dentist.” One thing the practice prides itself on is that it doesn’t insist on nonessential services such as annual X-rays, which Heinbach says aren’t necessary as long as a patient is disease-free and hasn’t had a cavity for several years. “Overall, it is a pet peeve of mine due to the radiation exposure and the dental expense, which is not necessary for a lot of people,” Heinbach says. “Basically, we personalize the care. You’re not a widget. You’re a unique individual.” — Becky Bridson

Dentist Peterson, Krische & Van Horn, DDS

Jason Dailey

Wilkerson, Saunders & Anderson DDS, LLC

“We also try to make it an environment where people enjoy coming to the dentist.” Lawrence.com

Thank You for voting us The Best of Lawrence for 4 years in a row!

Exploring your retirement living options? Together, we’ll ﬁnd the answers. • Independent Living • Assisted Living • Health Care • Rehabilitation • Memory Care

• Kent T. Peterson, DDS • Matthew F. Krische, DDS • Keith D. Van Horn, DDS

1429 Kasold Drive Lawrence, KS 66049

785-841-4262

Family Dentistry

530 FOLKS ROAD • 785-842-0705 • WWW.PKVDDS.COM

C1-482253

k n a Th You

LawrencePresbyterianManor.org

for voting us

Best Locally Owned Pharmacy • Friendly and Professional Staff • Free delivery • Quick Service • Best Prices in Lawrence • Free Med Box Preparation • Nursing Home Services • Therapy Management • Pet Medications • Compounding

4951 W 18th St Lawrence, KS 785-749-6740

4525 W 6th St Lawrence, KS 785-842-1225

• Breast Pumps • Weekly Med Reminders

Chiropractor Advanced Chiropractic Services

1605 Wakarusa Drive • (785) 842-4181

Peak Performance Health Center It’s one happy family — literally — at Advanced Chiropractic Services. “All of my doctors are related to me … a sister, niece, a couple of my sons, a cousin,” says Dr. Chris Wertin proudly. “I know who these people are, and I trust them all dearly.” Trust goes a long way when it comes to chiropractic care. At Advanced Chiropractic Services, an instrument called the Activator, which Wertin helped develop in the 1980s, has been the system his team trusts the most. “We don’t do any twisting, cracking or popping. We use a hand-held instrument, and that’s all we do,” Wertin says. “When we give an adjustment, we give literally the best adjustment that anybody can give that

Rodrock Chiropractic

patient. If there were a better way, we’d do it that way.” Wertin, who has been a chiropractor since 1985 and has practiced in Lawrence since 1989, has had patients come from around the world to visit him, he says. Not bad for a “country kid” from Wathena, Kansas. The family atmosphere grew recently at Advanced Chiropractic Services with the addition of Wertin’s oldest son, Harry. His younger son, Kyle, has been on the staff for over a year. Both are licensed chiropractors. “I like the situation I’ve created here. I come from a family of 11. I’m used to a lot of people around me,” Wertin says. “Even my staff who aren’t related to me, I love them, they’re like my family.” — Seth Jones

“When we give an adjustment, we give literally the best adjustment that anybody can give that patient.”

Your Hometown Team At Lawrence Otolaryngology, we’ve been a part of the Lawrence community for 31 years. We are proud to be your hometown option for audiology services, including diagnostic testings, hearing screenings and one of the largest selection of hearing aids and accessories in our area. We serve our patients every day, with the time and attention it takes to truly be a partner in their hearing journey. And, our patients say it best...

Audiologists Meryl R. Lockling, AuD and Misti M. Ranck MS CCC-A

“Our daughter recommended we come to Lawrence Otolaryngology for our hearing aids and we’re sure glad she did! Everyone we’ve worked with, from the doctors to the audiologist, have been kind and paid attention to all our needs. We would deﬁnitely recommend them to our friends... And we have, often!” —Archie and Sally, LOA patients Questions about your hearing? We look forward to the opportunity to answer your questions and treat you like we’ve been treating your neighbors for more than 30 years.

Call 785.841.1107 or visit us online at www.lawoto.com Lawrence.com

Thank You

For Voting For US! Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Chris Wertin DC Colleen Auchenbach DC Mary Huss DC Kyle Wertin DC Eric Wertin DC Jessica Speidel DC

1605 Wakarusa Drive Lawrence KS 66047 785-842-4181

407 Sycamore Street Valley Falls KS 66088 785-945-6137

13027 Kansas Avenue Bonner Springs KS 66012 913-721-5530

123 Dakota Street Holton KS 66436 785-362-7500

Emily Steele

After a lot of heavy lifting, commitment and dedication, the result has been undoubted success. Every good lifter deserves a good spotter. The business plan that fitness professional Lorinda Hartzler designed and presented to various banks decades ago still exists today. Hartzler found financial flexibility in local banker Mark Gonzalez, who spotted Hartzler her first loan in 1995 to buy Body Boutique, a second loan in 2004 to move the business to its current location, and a recent loan to expand the facility, doubling its size. “He [Gonzalez] believed in me with our very first loan back then,” Hartzler says. After a lot of heavy lifting, commitment and dedication, the result has been

Gym Body Boutique

2330 Yale Road • (785) 749-2424

undoubted success. Following the recent stretching of the space and addition of “Free State Ride,” a licensed freestanding co-ed indoor cycling studio, Body Boutique will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Hartzler, who believes everyone should own a gym membership, has often heard members say they’ve met good friends at Body Boutique. “I know because I’ve been doing this for a long, long time that women feel very comfortable and relaxed when they’re with other women,” she says. “It creates this beautiful, warm atmosphere.” — Becky Bridson

gym Genesis Health Club The Summit

Lawrence.com

Health & Fitness

Family Doctor Lawrence Family Medicine & Obstetrics

1220 Biltmore Drive • (785) 331-1700

“I think our doctors are some of the most personable, caring physicians in the Lawrence area.”

Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics prides itself on providing care to all types of patients at any age. “I think our doctors are some of the most personable, caring physicians in the Lawrence area,” says Barb Riley, office administrator. “They truly love their work and love their patients, and it shows.” The practice offers a variety of services, including obstetrics, pediatrics, primary care, gynecology, orthopedics, dermatology, cosmetic procedures and more. The practice also devotes a large portion

of its time and effort to preventive medicine. “Our mission is to provide our patients personalized, comprehensive, preventive and acute care with accessibility 24 hours a day,” says Dr. Larisa Kimuri. The practice cares for patients from infancy to old age and is available for appointments or walk-ins seven days a week. “Our goal is to keep patients healthy but to also be here for them when they get sick,” Kimuri says. — Becky Bridson

Family Doctor Family Medicine Associates, PA Lawrence Family Practice Center

Thank you for making us

Number 1 again!

THANK YOU

for voting us BEST TANNING SALON • Locally owned & operated • UV Free Spray-on Tanning

Make Alvamar YOUR Home Course

• 3 Different Levels of Tanning Beds • Waxing Services available by Cait

*New membership rates available

Thank you for supporting our small business for 12 years. LD & Kristi Lawrence

785.842.7767 • 1809 Crossgate Drive, Lawrence, KS 66047 . A LVA M A R . C O M For Membership information or questions contact Craig Palm at 785.842.7767 ext. 212. W W W

Or, e mail cpalm@alvamar.com

785-856-2646

4000 W 6th Street, Ste D & E • In Hy-Vee Shopping Center Mon-Thurs: 9am-9pm • Fri/Sat: 9am-7pm • Sun: Noon-7pm

Courtesy of Lawrence Family Medicine & Obstetrics

Providing 28 years of quality care and education for children 2 months - 11 years.

Thank You for Voting us a Best of Lawrence Chiropractor! Lawrence

1440 Wakarusa Ste. 400 Lawrence, KS 66049 785-832-8700

843-5919

www.steppingstones-childcare.org

Baldwin City

412 Ames Street Baldwin City, KS 66006 785-594-4894

Lawrence Family Vision Clinic

3111 W. Sixth St. • (785) 749-2020 The EyeDoctors

If there’s one thing the staff at Lawrence Family Vision Clinic has learned over the years, it’s how to go with the flow. The clinic, founded in 1983 by Dr. Dennis Hoss, has seen a lot of change over the decades. In addition to adding several optometrists, it has updated the clinic to use electronic records, as well as installing new diagnostic machines. Embracing technology is one of the many ways the clinic has perfected that personal touch, says practice manager Mily Boone. “We strive for the experience here,” she says. “Our patients come in feeling completely welcomed, having an individual experience as opposed to being treated like

Drs. Dobbins & Letourneau

a number.” The clinic expanded its optical side as well, offering a large selection of fashionable frames. “We carry designer sunglasses from Tom Ford to Cavalli and lightweight frames like IC Berlin,” Boone says. “It fits people’s lifestyles; I think that’s what people are looking for.” Lawrence Family Vision Clinic strives to know what its customers are looking for, Boone says. “Our doctors are definitely incredible doctors that go above and beyond for our patients,” she says, noting that they often participate in community outreach events. — Fally Afani

Creating a naturally beautiful smile designed specifically for you!

Thanks for voting for us 4 consecutive years in Best of Lawrence!

Making Lawrence Families Smile for Over 15 Years.

Elite Preferred Invisalign Provider www.ranjbarorthodontics.com 4828 Quail Crest Place | 785-832-1844

Mike Yoder

Health & Fitness

Eyewear

Sports Medicine OrthoKansas, LLC

1112 W. Sixth St., Suite 124 • (785) 843-9125 It takes a good team to be successful in sports, and it seems the same rule is true in sports medicine. If the team at OrthoKansas were a college basketball team, they’d rival the 2008 Kansas University Jayhawks. The team, which includes Dr. Jeffrey Randall, Dr. Neal Lintecum, Dr. Stephan Prô, Dr. Doug Stull and several other key players, is as balanced as that national championship team. “Dr. Randall is the head orthopedic surgeon at Kansas University; Dr. Lintecum is our hand specialist; Dr. Prô has recently added the hip; I take care of most of our shoulder and elbow problems,” Stull says. “We all have our special interests, and that makes us a great team.” When patients need to be transferred to

another specialist at a different clinic that can delay healing and getting back to the sport. With the many technologies and specialists at OrthoKansas, patients can receive immediate care on-site. “Once we decide someone needs treatment or imaging or diagnostic studies, we’re able to quickly get it done and decide if a patient needs surgery or prolonged physical therapy,” Stull says. “One of the best things we offer is timeliness of care.” The team at OrthoKansas works hard to stay current with the latest in medicine. “Sports medicine is rapid; it’s in constant motion,” Stull says. “Staying abreast of techniques and what’s brand new is paramount to top-of-the-line care.” — Seth Jones

Lawrence Therapy Services

“One of the best things we offer is timeliness of care.”

Sport & Spine

Thank you, everyone who voted us the BEST OF LAWRENCE

Best Family Doctor Special Congratulations to Joni Lawrence - Best Nurse • Best Local Medical Clinic • Best Pediatrician •

Joni Lawrence

www.lfmo.com • 785-331-1700 • 1220 Biltmore Drive

Health & Fitness

And the winners are... Acupuncture 1. Ad Astra Acupuncture 2. Southwind Health Collective, LLC 3. Risley Chiropractic

Golf Course 1. Alvamar Golf Course and Country Club 2. Eagle Bend Golf Course 3. Lawrence Country Club

Nurse 1. Joni Lawrence, Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics 2. Andrea D’Achiardi, NeuCare 3. Amy Vestal, OrthoKansas, LLC

Chiropractor 1. Advanced Chiropractic Services 2. Peak Performance Health Center 3. Rodrock Chiropractic

gym/fitness Center 1. Body Boutique 2. Genesis Health Club 3. The Summit

Orthodontics 1. Ranjbar Orthodontics 2. Oread Orthodontics 3. McColm Orthodontics

Hiking and Bike trails 1. Clinton Lake Trails 2. The Kansas River Trails 3. Mutt Run, Off-leash Dog Park

Pediatrician 1. Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, PA 2. Lawrence Pediatrics, PA 3. Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics

Dentist 1. Heinbach Larkin DDS 2. Peterson, Krische & Van Horn, DDS 3. Wilkerson, Saunders & Anderson DDS, LLC Eye doctor, Vision Center or place to buy eyewear 1. Lawrence Family Vision Clinic 2. The EyeDoctors 3. Drs. Dobbins & Letourneau Family Doctor 1. Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics 2. Family Medicine Associates, PA 3. Lawrence Family Practice Center

Local Medical Clinic 1. Family Medicine Associates, PA 2. Lawrence Family Medicine and Obstetrics 3. Lawrence Family Practice Center Martial Arts 1. Prime Martial Arts 2. Premier Martial Arts 3. Lawrence Tae-Kwon-Do School Message therapy 1. Salon Di Marco & Day Spa 2. Massage Envy Spa 3. Southwind Health Collective, LLC

Personal Trainer 1. James Findley, Athletic Republic 2. Tracey English, Aspire Fitness 3. Scott Elliott, The Summit Pharmacy 1. Dillons Pharmacy 2. Walgreens Pharmacy 3. Sigler Pharmacy Physical Therapist 1. OrthoKansas, LLC 2. TherapyWorks 3. Neu Physical Therapy Center

Psychiatrist, Psychologist or Counselor 1. 1. Interpersonal Psychiatry 2. TIE: Kendall Heiman, LSCSW, LCAC, Paramount Recovery, LLC Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center 3. TIE: Jena Bloch, LCMFT, Life Enrichment Center Dennis Detweiler, LSCSW, Detweiler Counseling Services Inc. Spa 1. Salon Di Marco & Day Spa 2. TIE: Massage Envy Spa and Sensora Spa 3. Lada Salon & Spa Sports Medicine 1. OrthoKansas, LLC 2. Lawrence Therapy Services 3. Sport & Spine Surgeon 1. Dr. Jeffrey C. Randall, OrthoKansas, LLC 2. Dr. Cheryl Rice, Lawrence General Surgery 3. TIE: Dr. Richard G. Wendt, OrthoKansas, LLC Dr. Stephen W. Myrick, Lawrence General Surgery

Thank You For Voting Us Best Hearing Aid Provider! Comprehensive Hearing Evaluations Our Fully Licensed Staff will perform the following • Video Otoscopy ~ Ear Wax? See for yourself on our HD monitors! *Lawrence Office • Hearing Evaluations ~ Including a Speech Discrimination test! • Personalized Counsel and Demonstration of the Latest Hearing Aid Technology!

The Clear Choice for All Your Hearing Needs Locally Owned & Operated

C1-482601

LAWRENCE

4106 W. 6th, Ste E (785) 749-1885

Our friendly, fully licensed staff is here to partner with you concerning your hearing healthcare.

TONGANOXIE 330 Delaware St. (866) 749-1885

If you currently wear hearing aids we will be happy to service them. We service and repair most brands and models.

OTTAWA

1302 S. Main St., Ste 23 (785) 242-7100

Thanks for voting us

Our family caring for yours.

Best of Lawrence Mature Living

Where you and your growing family will see your own doctor for OB visits, delivery, and your continuing health care needs. That’s added peace of mind when it comes to your health and the health of your baby. Dr. Miranda Fowler, Dr. Melissa Kalb, Dr. Kimberley McKeon and Dr. Chad Johanning provide comprehensive primary care including obstetrics, pediatrics and urgent care.

BRANDON WOODS HAS MORE OPTIONS FOR SENIORS Independent Living Assisted Living Memory Care - Alzheimer’s/Dementia Rehabilitation Skilled Nursing Care

obstetrics • gynecology • weight loss • infertility • pediatrics • menopause • management • dermatology • urgent care • bioidentical hormone replacement

CALL (785) 841-6540 FOR AN APPOINTMENT 4951 W. 18th Street • Lawrence, KS 66047 LawrenceFamilyPractice.com ACUTE CARE WALK-IN CLINIC HOURS Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays: 9 a.m. to noon

Carla Phipps, MD • Bradley Phipps, MD Kimberley McKeon, MD • Melissa Kalb, MD Miranda Fowler, MD • Chad Johanning, MD Heather Yates, PA-C

1501 Inverness Drive | Lawrence, KS 66047 | 785-838-8000 www.brandonwoods.com Pet Friendly

Shopping

Best of Lawrence 2015

Mike Yoder

“It sounds funny to say the bike business is cyclical, but it’s true.”

Bike Shop Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop

804 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-5000 bike shop Cycle Works The Lawrence Re-Cyclery

Lawrence has always been a popular city for bicycling, and the popularity of riding bikes is flourishing in the region. “It sounds funny to say the bike business is cyclical, but it’s true,” says Sunflower Outdoor and Bike owner Dan Hughes. “The first big bike boom was in the ’70s because of the gas shortage. Then in the mid-’80s, there was the mountain bike boom that allowed people to ride on trails.” Now many people have become environmentally conscious and are trying to find ways to reduce their pollution footprint, and cycling is one way to do that, Hughes says. Lawrence also has become the epicenter of gravel riding, Hughes says. On many weekends even in winter, 100-plus gravel road races are held. In April, Sunflower

helped sponsor the Gravelleurs Raid 100-mile race that began and finished at Johnny’s Tavern. Hughes, who has an anthropology degree from Kansas University, began working at Sunflower in 1989 when his degree “wasn’t going anywhere.” In 2000 he and his wife bought the shop. The shop keeps a large inventory, from 600 to 700 bikes of multiple colors and various prices, “as much as you want to spend,” Hughes says. To foster a cycling community, Hughes supports efforts to produce maps of local trails and also provides workshops to teach riders how to repair and maintain their bikes. “Lawrence is a good town for riding,” he says. — Karen Dillon Lawrence.com

Shopping

Pet store Pet World

711 W. 23rd St. • (785) 841-7476 Pawsh Wash and Pet Health Market

“When you are that deeply rooted, the community needs you to be more than just a pet store.”

If you’re feeling adventurous about the next pet you want to welcome into your home — a creature other than a dog or cat — it may be best to visit with Pet World. The local pet store offers a wide selection, sure. Among the gerbils, guinea pigs, iguanas and birds, there are also tortoises bigger than your head and snakes that are twice as long as you are tall. But another reason to visit Pet World is the informative staff. They’ll let you know what you’re in for. “Goliath is a perfect example of what not to buy — he’s a 15-foot Burmese python,” says Sherry Emerson, who owns the store with her husband, Tim. “We go straight over to his cage and go, ‘Are you sure?’ And then we show them something that maxes out at 5 feet.” Pet World has been a mainstay in Lawrence since

Petco

its opening in the 1970s (the Emersons have owned it since 1988). Emerson surrounds the fauna with a knowledgeable staff who host educational programs for kids. Pet World, Emerson says, is more than just a store. “Kids are growing up with us,” she says. “We teach the rain forest together; we learn together. When you are that deeply rooted, the community needs you to be more than just a pet store.” — Elliot Hughes Editor’s note: On May 25, a fire at Pet World took the lives of a number of small animals, while some reptiles and others survived. Lawrence emergency crews, store staff and community members responded to the fire in an effort to provide support. At press time the cause of the fire had not been determined.

Thanks for Voting me a Best of Lawrence Realtor!

Holly Garber American Dream Realty

785.979.7325

garber.holly@gmail.com

Foxtrot

When Ryan Schwisow, owner of Brown’s Shoe Fit Co., says the store is about comfort, he means it. What separates Brown’s from competitors is that it is a “sit and fit” store, Schwisow says. In addition to being able to get their feet measured, customers can also select a shoe based on their arch type and gate. “Everybody walks different, so you need that person to tell you that because of your particular gate, this is the type of tennis shoe that works best for you,” he says. To do so, Brown’s has a pressure point analysis machine that can determine customers’ arch types and staff can observe

Shoe Store Brown’s Shoe Fit Co.

829 Massachusetts St. • (785) 842-8142 Famous Footwear

how customers walk to see whether they walk more on the inside or outside of the foot, Schwisow says. Schwisow says the store specializes in shoes with good structure and support for all ages. In addition to tennis shoes, Brown’s carries hiking shoes, flip-flops, sandals, boots and flats. Brown’s staff also does house calls to private homes and nursing homes for customers who have a hard time making it to the store. “We try to go out of our way to make sure that the customer’s taken care of,” Schwisow says. — Rochelle Valverde

Thank You Lawrence

for voting for us!

OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE: Use the best materials available, combined with quality craftmanship to guarantee that we exceed our clients expectations.

No job is too big or small. Whether it is painting the walls in a single room, or taking care of all of the coatings in a large remodel or custom construction project. We are meticulous painting professionals, whose attention to detail will ensure the beauty and longevity of any painting project.

BEST PAINTING SERVICE Patrick Brown | 760-0352 Seth Roberts | 218-3824 www.starlightpainting.com

Starlight Painting is committed to servicing the needs of homeowners, businesses, interior designers, general contractors, and real estate professionals.

Browse our website and follow us on Facebook to ﬁnd out more about us, and when you are ready, please contact us to schedule a bid for your painting project.

Call us today to schedule your late Summer/early Fall painting projects!

Jason Dailey

“We try to go out of our way to make sure that the customer’s taken care of.”

Shopping

Unique Store Made

737 Massachusetts St. • (785) 749-1162

When you need a gift, going for something unique is always a solid choice. Shoppers can find plenty of things under that category at Made, a 4-year-old store in Lawrence’s downtown that sells handmade items from more than 100 independent artists across the country. “Our goal is to have items here that you can’t get anywhere else, a gift that is truly unique, made by individuals, rather than corporations or a factory,” says Jennifer Richards, who owns the store with her husband, Matt. Made sells all sorts of household and garden items, including kitchenware, pillows, candles, soap, greeting cards, children’s clothing, various prints and artisan foods. The two owners travel to craft fairs all over the region and even to Chicago and New York City to find new artists. And yet there are local artists contributing in every “department” of Made, Jennifer says. Many items from faraway are customized with a Lawrence spin. Customers will enjoy the knowledge of who is behind the items they’re about to buy, Jennifer says. “I enjoy buying something that came from a stay-at-home mom or a brotherand-sister team,” she says. “I like having that connection with the maker of it.” — Elliot Hughes

Unique Store

Jason Dailey

“A gift that is truly unique, made by individuals, rather than corporations or a factory.” 70

Best of Lawrence 2015

Mass Street Soda Wild Territory Science & Nature Store

Bookstore The Dusty Bookshelf

708 Massachusetts St. • (785) 749-4643 The Raven Book Store

Hastings Kevin Anderson

Manda Barker finds bookstores in general to be romantic places filled with surprises. “I just think they are a comfortable place for people,” says Barker who is the manager of The Dusty Bookshelf in downtown Lawrence. “I think they make people feel good. There are surprises here, and people will find things they weren’t looking for.” Barker began working at the store in her junior year at Kansas University. She graduated with a degree in social services

but found her calling at the bookstore. Since 1996, customers have bought, sold and exchanged books at the Massachusetts Street location. As of January, the store’s inventory was at almost 56,000 books. For Barker, being able to exchange books is a plus. “Recycling books is something people really appreciate,” she says. A longtime favorite at the store was a popular cat named Alice, who died last year. “The whole community mourned our

loss,” Barker says. However, in April, store employees went to the Humane Society to pick out a new kitty. Dinah, named after a cat in “Alice in Wonderland,” has found a new home in the bookstore. The stray is black with big yellow eyes. “She is playful and ornery,” Barker says. For now, as Dinah naps in the window, customers enjoy finding the unexpected on the store’s shelves. — Karen Dillon

“There are surprises here, and people will find things they weren’t looking for.”

Meritrust Credit Union

2015 Best of Lawrence Honoree

Thank you, Lawrence!

We congratulate all businesses featured in this year’s Best of Lawrence, and thank you for your ongoing community partnership. Meritrust is proud to join with all Lawrence businesses and organizations to serve the community. It’s our commitment to Lawrence to help make it the best place to live and work.

650 Congressional, Suite A 785.856.7878 2321 Harper St. 785.856.5093

Shopping

Window Display The Toy Store

936 Massachusetts St. • (785) 331-3218 As per usual, the Toy Store in downtown Lawrence had plenty of fun things on display in its storefront window this spring. A stuffed snake and lion could be seen playing checkers. Colorful kites hung from above. A stuffed dog (who is wearing his safety goggles, by the way) was working with a chemistry set. A closer look at that chemistry set, though, reveals a signature detail behind one of Lawrence’s most consistently vibrant window displays. Among science dog’s equipment is a Petri dish filled with three little toy babies. “That’s the stuff I like to put in there, to make people do a double-take,” says Paul Thomas, who helps construct the displays at the store. “Sometimes I see people come up and point at things. I think that attracts people, since we’re a toy store. They see things that are fun.” Thomas, along with Margaret Warner and Nick Guffey, are the window designers. Stretching 45 feet wide, the space demands an ample amount of preparation. The team generally puts up a new design every month or two and plans for the switch more than a week in advance. A range of toys from the store’s shelves can appear, not to mention handcrafted life-size models of Lego figures. With plenty of toys to draw from, the trio is sure to keep children and the young at heart entertained — one window display at a time. — Elliot Hughes

Nick Krug

Window Display

“I think that attracts people, since we’re a toy store. They see things that are fun.” 72

Best of Lawrence 2015

Game Nut Entertainment (Massachusetts Street location) Weaver’s

Men’s Clothing Store Weaver’s

901 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-6360

Trends have come and gone since Weaver’s department store opened its doors in 1857. But there is a key difference between trends and style, and the store’s focus is on the latter, says Brady Flannery, vice president of Weaver’s. “In everything, we try to have a timeless style,” Flannery says. “We believe in style but not trends. Trends come and go; style evolves naturally.” That philosophy has been working well for Weaver’s, which has been named best men’s clothing store. But as much as the product is important, Weaver’s also owes its success to its people. “Our ears are always open to our customers’ wants and needs,” Flannery says

Jos. A. Bank of the staff. And one of the needs Weaver’s strives to meet is versatility. That’s why while one can certainly find suits, ties and dress shoes, there are also T-shirts, flip-flops and sunglasses. “In that small space provided, we can help the customer with any occasion that life’s going to throw his way,” Flannery says. The ability to serve a range of customers is also important, Flannery says, and they’re proud to be able to serve everyone from a high school student to the gentleman who’s been shopping at Weaver’s his entire life. “That’s a badge of honor to do all that and do it successfully, we think,” he says. — Rochelle Valverde

Nick Krug

Kohl’s

Thank you Lawrence for your

135 years

Fine Arts Unique • Functional FEATURING THE ORIGINAL HANDMADEWORKS OF OVER 300 LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ARTISANS. • Pottery • Blown Glass • Jewelry •Woodwork • Textiles and much more

of support!

Marks Jewelers Quality since 1880 817 Mass. • 785-843-4266

Visit us in beautiful

Downtown Lawrence 825 Massachusetts Street Lawrence KS 785-843-0080 Also visit us at: Country Club Plaza 4740 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO

Thank you for voting us for Best Art Gallery & Best Gift Shop!

Also shop at: www.phoenixgalleryart.com

Shopping

Floral store Owens Flower Shop

846 Indiana St. • (785) 843-6111

Englewood Florist

Imagine the joy of going to work every day in a shop brimming with freshly cut flowers. Could you ever tire of it? “I still love it,” says Kristin Spacek, owner of Owens Flower Shop. “I don’t think there’s a day that I didn’t want to go to work.” Spacek and her husband are the fourth owners of the shop, which has been in Lawrence for 68 years. Spacek moved to Lawrence when she was 21 and was looking through the phone book for possible jobs when she spotted Owens Flower

Hy-Vee Floral

Shop. Thinking it might be a good place to work, she applied and got the job. Within just a few years, the owners decided to retire, and she and her husband were able to buy the business. Spacek enjoys the creative side most, cutting and arranging flowers and greenery into decorative displays. The shop carries houseplants, fresh flowers and gift items. If you don’t see the plant you want, Spacek says she can order almost any kind. — Karen Dillon

Jason Dailey

J. LYNN BRIDAL HAS MOVED L A W R E N C E ’ S S U P P L I E R O F W E D D I N G AT T I R E !

731 MASS ST. 785.840.4664 www.JLynnBridal.com

Thank you for your vote

Garden Store Clinton Parkway Nursery Earl May Nursery & Garden Center

Richard Gwin

Garden Store Howard Pine’s Garden Center and Greenhouse

“Our family really has passed on knowledge about gardening from generation to generation.”

1320 N. Third St. • (785) 749-0302 Gerald Pine is a better gardener than Google. Sure, you could turn to Google when you need to figure out when to plant radishes in Lawrence or what type of snap pea performs best in local soils. But you’re not likely to find a database that goes deeper than Pine’s. “Our family’s gardening history in Lawrence goes back to 1868,” Pine says. That’s when William Allen Pine came to the fertile area now known as North Lawrence. He made his living by growing vegetables. Today, Gerald Pine runs the

venerable Howard Pine’s Garden Center and Greenhouse, which is named after its founder and Pine’s father, who died in 2002. “Our family really has passed on knowledge about gardening from generation to generation,” Pine says. Howard Pine used the site of the garden center for years as a produce farm. Then in 1962 he decided to open a greenhouse operation on the property. It has been going strong ever since. The operation remains unique today because it focuses on growing most of its merchandise straight from seed rather than

having it shipped in from distant locations. “We’re a real greenhouse,” Pine says. The business specializes in annuals, perennials and vegetable plants. Of course, it also specializes in promoting the joys of gardening. “When people are here, it is like they are at their favorite hobby store,” Pine says. “This is a fun thing to do. They have all their necessary rounds done, and when they are here it is their fun time to shop.” The store is open three seasons out of the year: March through October. — Chad Lawhorn

WOMen’s Clothing Store Kohl’s

3240 Iowa St. • (785) 842-6133 Earlier this year, BusinessInsider. com reported that nationwide Kohl’s was women’s favorite place to shop for clothing and has been for several years now. That’s according to a consumer research survey from Piper Jaffray, which showed Kohl’s as the top choice several years running over other large and midsize stores, according to BusinessInsider.com. Best of Lawrence voters agreed.

Kohl’s offers a wide selection of stylish women’s casual, business, dress and athletic clothes — plus shoes, handbags and jewelry to go with them. One thing that differentiates Kohl’s, especially for the fashion-savvy, is its designers. The store sells fashionforward brands such as Rock & Republic, Juicy Couture, LC Lauren Conrad and Simply Vera by Vera Wang — at affordable prices. — Sara Shepherd

Women’s Clothing Store Weaver’s Kieu’s

Lawrence.com

Shopping

Gift Shop Phoenix Gallery

825 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-0080

There’s a word for a family of 350 artists: fun, says Sue Shea, manager of the Phoenix Gallery. The gallery, being honored as the best gift shop in town, has about 350 artists represented in its space, but has worked with a lot more during its more than 20-year history in downtown. The store chooses to work with artists who share the same philosophy about art. “Our mantra is to have art that everyone can have,” Shea says. “We have a price point of $10 and up. That is pretty much our motto: Get

Made

art in everyone’s hands.” The store offers jewelry, blown glass, ceramics, wood work, mixed media, sculpture, paintings, drawings and many other types of art. Many of the pieces are from local artists, which Shea says adds to the fun of the store. “You really do get to know the artists like family,” she says. “They come in the store and we chat. When they bring new stuff in, I can’t hardly wait for them to open the box so I can see what they have.” — Chad Lawhorn

Jason Dailey

LMH Gift Shop

“Our mantra is to have art that everyone can have.”

Thank you for your vote and confidence. Finalist In: • • • • •

Women's Clothing Men's Clothing Dresses / Formal Wear Window Display Department Store

901 Massachusetts

785-843-6360

It’s not just the cars that make Crown Automotive a favorite dealer around town, though it does have a lot of those. Between the dealership’s lot and its big showroom, Crown has a selection of 400 to 500 new and used vehicles, says Randy Habiger, general sales manager for the dealership. But above all, Crown’s success comes down to two things: the customer and the community, Habiger says. He says the dealership values transparency in customer service. “We try to treat people the way we’d want to be treated if it was us walking in the door,” he says. The other key element of Crown’s philosophy, he says, is community involvement, which is why the dealership supports dozens of fundraising events and nonprofit organizations annually. “Being able to support the community and the things we feel strongly about is important,” Habiger says. Like its inventory, the list of organizations that Crown supports is extensive, with last year’s count reaching 87, according to the dealership’s customer and community relations manager, Connie Beebe. Organizations include Habitat for Humanity, the Lawrence Schools Foundation and the Lawrence Public Library. As varied as the organizations are, the message is the same: “Take care of the people that are in your community, and they’ll take care of you,” Habiger says. — Rochelle Valverde

Laird Noller Automotive

GARDEN ART • PET DISHES • DINNERWARE A ARE

(new)

Place To buy A car

3400 Iowa St. • (785) 843-7700

F FREE EP PARTY RT RO ROOM M OUR STUD DIO O IS YOUR STUDIO

SUNFIRE CERAMICS

Pottery Painting & Fused Glass Make your own Gifts Art & Decor. Creative Fun Anytime You Choose Locally cally owned

749-282 28 1002 New Hampshire • Downtown Lawrence

Lawrence since 1997

BIRTHDAY BIRT T • SIP & CREATE • FUNDRAISER • SCOUTS

Crown Automotive: Toyota / Scion / Volkswagen

Amy’s Attic Antiques, Pre-owned Furniture, Home Decor

Briggs Auto

700 Locust Street

785.856.9030

www.amysattic.org Open Friday and Saturday 9-6 Mike Yoder Lawrence.com

Thank you for voting us one of the best in Lawrence! Kathryn and Heidi

THANK YOU LAWRENCE, FOR VOTING US BEST IN LAWRENCE THREE YEARS IN A ROW! FULL SERVICE HAIR AND NAIL SALON FULL BODY WAXING FACIAL AND BODY TREATMENTS MASSAGE AND REIKI

Salon Di Marco & Day Spa HAIR ◊ SKIN ◊ BODY

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE SALON AND SPA PACKAGES AVAILABLE Open 7 Days a Week Mon-Fri 9am-8pm • Sat 8am-8pm • Sun 11am-7pm 733 Massachusetts St. • 785.843.0044 Book Online Today! • www.sdimarco.com

KU Souvenir Store Kansas Sampler

921 Massachusetts St. • (785) 841-1300 KU Memorial Union Bookstore

sports boutique company has expanded to include a couple dozen Rally House stores outside Kansas. The Lawrence store also sells Royals, Chiefs and Sporting KC gear, and even a few Kansas State University items. Anstaett says one unique offerings is a three-section black-and-white artwork depicting Allen Fieldhouse. For clothing, there’s everything from classy buttonups for men to chiffon fashion tops for women. So you’re actually just looking for a T-shirt? Kansas Sampler has those, too, of course. — Sara Shepherd

ervice is Kin S e r e h g!!

Nick Krug

The Kansas University souvenir market isn’t just for T-shirts anymore. One step inside Kansas Sampler in downtown Lawrence makes that obvious. When it comes to KU gifts and gear, the shop carries an array of items aimed at appealing to all Jayhawk fans. That’s part of what sets Kansas Sampler apart, store manager Candace Anstaett says. “Just about anything you can think of — premium jewelry, kitchenware, you name it, they make it,” Anstaett says. “It’s so diverse.” Lawrence’s store is one of seven Kansas Samplers in the state, and the specialty

Jock’s Nitch

“Just about anything you can think of … you name it, they make it.”

Ron King Agency, Inc. 3010 Four Wheel Dr. Bus: (785) 841-8008 rking@amfam.com www.ronkingagency.com

THANKS FOR VOTING US E BEST INSURANC AGENCY

Shopping

And the winners are... Antique Store 1. Lawrence Antique Mall 2. Amy’s Attic Interiors and Antiques 3. Blackbird Trading Post Bike Shop 1. Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop 2. Cycle Works 3. The Lawrence Re-Cyclery Bookstore 1. The Dusty Bookshelf 2. The Raven Book Store 3. Hastings Children’s Clothes 1. Blue Dandelion 2. 2 Shy Kids Children’s ReRun Store 3. The Gap Convenience Store 1. Kwik Shop 2. QuikTrip 3. Hy-Vee Gas Department Store 1. Weaver’s 2. Target 3. Kohl’s Dress Shop or Formal wear 1. Weaver’s 2. Kieu’s 3. J.Lynn Bridal

Electronics Store 1. Best Buy 2. Game Nut Entertainment 3. Hastings

Jewelry Store 1. Marks Jewelers 2. Goldmakers Jewelry 3. Kizer Cummings Jewelers

Flower Shop 1. Owens Flower Shop 2. Englewood Florist 3. Hy-Vee Floral

KU Souvenir Shop 1. Kansas Sampler 2. KU Memorial Union Bookstore 3. Jock’s Nitch

Furniture Store 1. World Market 2. Winfield House 3. Lawrence Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Men’s Clothing Store 1. Weaver’s 2. Kohl’s 3. Jos. A. Bank

Gardening Store 1. Howard Pine’s Garden Center and Greenhouse 2. Clinton Parkway Nursery 3. Earl May Nursery & Garden Center Gift Shop 1. Phoenix Gallery 2. LMH Gift Shop 3. Made Hardware Store 1. Westlake Ace Hardware 2. Cottin’s Hardware & Rental 3. Ernst & Son

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

Accountants with an Attitude • Tax Preparation & Planning • Accounting & Payroll Services • Quickbooks Consulting Serving Lawrence & Douglas County for over 35 years.

Thanks to all our clients for your vote! 3504 Westridge Dr., Lawrence, KS (785) 842-3431 roarkandassociates@gmail.com www.roarkcpa.com

Music Store 1. Love Garden 2. Mass Street Music 3. Richards Music Store Pet Store 1. Pet World 2. Pawsh Wash and Pet Health Market 3. Petco Place to buy a new car 1. Crown Automotive 2. Laird Noller Automotive 3. Briggs Auto Place to buy a used car 1. Crown Automotive 2. Laird Noller Automotive 3. Johnny I’s

Secondhand Store 1. Arizona Trading Co. 2. Plato’s Closet 3. Wild Man Vintage Shoe Store 1. Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. 2. Foxtrot 3. Famous Footwear Sporting Goods 1. Dick’s Sporting Goods 2. Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop 3. Garry Gribble’s Running Sports Toy Store 1. The Toy Store 2. Wild Territory Science & Nature Store 3. Astrokitty Comics & More Unique Store 1. Made 2. Mass Street Soda 3. Wild Territory Science & Nature Store Vintage clothing 1. Wild Man Vintage 2. Arizona Trading Co. 3. Plato’s Closet Window Display 1. The Toy Store 2. Game Nut Entertainment 3. Weaver’s Women’s Clothing store 1. Kohl’s 2. Weaver’s 3. Kieu’s

A Beautiful Wedding

Thank you for voting for us in the category of Law Firm “BEST OF LAWRENCE”

Helping you plan your “I Do’s” Carmen Hocking Wedding Consultant (785) 766-1892 Wedding planning at all stages Ofﬁciant for customized wedding ceremonies Large selection of Invitations Wedding Gown Preservation Travel Agent - Director of Romance Planningidos@aol.com www.abeautifulweddingbycarmen.com

900 Massachusetts, Ste 500 Lawrence, KS 66044 785-843-0811 Phone 785-843-0341 Fax

917 S.W. Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS 66612 785-408-8000 Phone 785-408-8003 Fax

www.stevensbrand.com

Services

Best of Lawrence 2015

Richard Gwin

Auto Collision Repair Hite Collision Repair Center

3401 W. Sixth St. • (785) 843-8991

Since 1960, Hite Collision Repair Center has been bringing broken cars back to life. They’ve taken the crashed, wrecked and the severely scratched and made them good as new. It’s a process they’ve gotten so good at they have been voted Lawrence’s best auto collision repair center. Dave Buller, owner, says it’s the attention to detail that explains the shop’s success. Every car that passes through his shop is inspected and hand-detailed by the owner himself. It’s a process he follows about 20 times per week, no matter how small the repair. “We always treat every car like it’s my own. When you do that, you can’t fail,” he says.

Buller enjoyed tinkering with cars so much he made a career change to do it. After growing up fixing cars on his family’s farm, Buller attended college and worked in the medical field for 10 years. Eventually he decided he missed his days in the shop and purchased Hite from its previous owner. With an experienced team who’s been together long enough to know who’s best at what (his newest employee started eight years ago), Buller says it’s led to an incredible setup. “We’re just a bunch of old farts who work on cars,” he says. “And I think we do it really, really well.” — Bethaney Wallace

Auto Collision Repair Steve’s Auto Plaza Body Shop Pearson Collision Repair

“We’re just a bunch of old farts who work on cars.” Lawrence.com

Services

Landscaping Lawrence Landscape

600 Lincoln St. • (785) 843-4370 Turf Masters Inc.

Parker Landscape Management Inc.

Glen Westervelt, president of Lawrence Landscape, loves coming up with cool outdoor projects for his clients. The only problem: He’s easily distracted. Not to worry. Over the past 28 years he’s surrounded himself with talented employees. “We put a lot of work in trying to make our clients happy and meet their needs,” Westervelt says. “We still have many of the same clients that we started with over 28 years ago.” Westervelt started the company in 1987. That same year, Frank Male, production manager, became a partner. Since then, the company has grown into a family of companies, including Midwest Custom Pools and LLI Tree Farm. Outdoor living spaces — patios, pools, fireplaces and outdoor kitchens — have become popular with their clients in recent years.

“The Internet has really allowed people to visualize and unlock the potential that exists in their backyard,” Westervelt says. Estate maintenance plans have also become a vital part of his business. “It allows a homeowner to enjoy the benefits they would have by living in a Homeowners Association, while having a program tailored to their individual home and budget,” he says. Even though Westervelt might joke about being easily distracted, he’s clearly laser-focused on his business. Winning this award for a third year in a row is proof. So what’s his secret to success? “We have a lot of very good people in our organization who share my commitment to customer service,” he says. — Seth Jones

Jason Dailey

“We put a lot of work in trying to make our clients happy.”

Celebrating Cele lebr brat atin ing 10 years yea of quality and friendly electrical trical servi service and contracting.

An Audio - Video Division of Danielsan Electric

EQUIPMENT SALES

DANIELSAN ELECTRIC LIGHTS OF LIG OFF? LI LIGHTS ON ON! www.lightsofflightson.com

QUALITY SERVICE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL AUTOMATION

Visit our showroom at Abe & Jake’s Landing.

Barber

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Downtown Barber Shop

824 Massachusetts St. (785) 843-8000

For Jay Amyx, co-owner of Downtown Barber Shop, the best part of being in the family business is the people he meets and the stories they tell when they take their spin in the barber chair. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I get to be part of every occasion that is special in someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, whether it be good or bad,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weddings, births, birthdays, funerals. They come here, and we get to be part of that.â&#x20AC;? Amyx has been cutting hair for 16 years, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helped in the shop â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sweeping floors and doing other odd jobs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; since his father, Jon, opened it in 1987. In recent years, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become the barber shopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expert when it comes to intricate shaved designs that have become popular, especially among athletes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a specialty that fell to him almost by accident. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kids would come in and want their sporting number or their teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design,â&#x20AC;? he says, and he took on the challenge. Being in a college town helps when it comes to keeping abreast of new techniques and new styles, but standard menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cuts, including military cuts, make up the bulk of the shopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business. Still, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people and relationships that keep customers of all ages coming back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest thing that sets us apart is customer service,â&#x20AC;? Amyx says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a great staff. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt about that. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d put our staff up against anybody.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Julie Tollefson

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weddings, births, birthdays, funerals. They come here, and we get to be part of that.â&#x20AC;?

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Lawrence.com

Services

Insurance Agent Ron King Insurance Agency

3010 Four Wheel Drive • (785) 841-8008 Ron King is a popular guy. He founded his insurance agency in 1988 and is now a common name in many households across Lawrence. More than 2,000 households, to be exact. King’s customers have remained so loyal to him over the years that now he’s doing business with their children. King has made a point to keep his business, and his life, in Lawrence. He’s involved with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and St. John Catholic School.

“Relationships, that’s what it’s all about,” King says. Insurance is “a service, and we need to provide a service. We can do that best if we have relationships, and you can best have relationships if it’s local.” King’s emphasis on the personal touch extends from clients to his own employees. “We try to do our business with empathy, with integrity,” he says. “We try to do what we say we’re going to do. There’s not a lot of magic to it. We care. We really, really do.” — Fally Afani

Patricia Reed, Farm Bureau Financial Services

“We try to do our business with empathy, with integrity.”

D J Flummerfelt, American Family Insurance

“Do What You Do So Well ThatThey Will Want To See It Again And Bring Their Friends.” -�

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“I am truly dedicated to helping people who need help.” Nick Krug

Lawyer

David J. Brown, L.C.

TIE: John Frydman, Frydman Criminal Defense Darryl Graves, P.C.

1040 New Hampshire St. • (785) 842-0777 David Brown began his law practice in Lawrence in 1992, and in the decades since has developed a reputation for civic commitment. “This community has been generous to me, and I want to give back as much as I can,” he says. “Really, that is what community means. You give back, and it’s our civic responsibility.” Brown fell in love with the small-town vibe of Lawrence after moving here from Albany, N.Y. “Albany’s big enough where there is no sense of community like there is in Lawrence,” he says. But that’s not what got Brown to stick it out in the Heartland. The avid LGBTQ-rights advocate felt a need for his services.

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“I am a passionate advocate of their rights,” he says. “My dedication to serving my clients and the needs of a community that has been discriminated against has somewhat been helpful to my image, but I am truly dedicated to helping people who need help.” Brown also practices in other areas, including family law. “I work with folks in crisis situations who need help getting through, frequently, what are just horrible times in their lives,” Brown says. “Those people need dedicated and skilled professionals to assist them because people should not go to court without help.” — Fally Afani

Rick Frydman, Frydman Law Office

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Nicholas Lerner, McGrew Real Estate

1501 Kasold Drive • 4100 W. Sixth St. • (785) 843-2055 Holly Garber, American Dream Realty Although the real estate profession can be difficult and stressful at times, the happy-ever-afters makes all the effort worthwhile for Nicholas Lerner. “Handing a key (to clients) at the end of the process is such a good feeling,” he says. Lerner has been in real estate for nearly a decade. He began at Reece & Nichols Acres Realty and continued at McGrew in 2008.

Tanya Kulaga, Realty Executives Hedges Real Estate

“I never knew it would grow into this thing where I get to help literally hundreds of people through the challenging process,” he says. Lerner loves Lawrence for its diverse community. He also values safety and the excellent education his children are receiving. “Lawrence is this unique gem of amazing people,” he says. — Becky Bridson

“Handing a key (to clients) at the end of the process is such a good feeling.”

Bill Stephens

Services

Realtor

Real Estate Agent VOTED LAWRENCE’S BEST

Tanya Kulaga

REALTOR® CRS, ABR, GRI

(785)550-2585

Lawrence Kansas Expert Residential Home Sales Top Agent 2014 Realty Executives, Hedges Real Estate, Inc.

Veterinarian Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital

4340 Clinton Parkway • (785) 841-3131

For 40 years, Lawrence pets and their owners have relied on Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital for quality medical care. Veterinarian and co-owner Gary Olson recalls the open house that marked the launch of the new business in 1974. A dozen people showed up. Contrast that with the hospital’s 40th anniversary celebration last fall when close to 400 clients and pets joined the festivities. “It kind of shows the bond that we have with some of our clients,” Olson says. “It was pretty special for the staff and for the clients.” Though services at most veterinary hospitals are similar, Olson says the award-winning staff at Clinton Parkway set it apart. “We have a lot of maturity here, but we also have youth and enthusiasm,” he says.

Lewis Veterinary Clinic

What the hospital’s staff and four doctors all have in common is a dedication to providing the best veterinary care possible, from the emotional lows of helping owners say goodbye to beloved pets to the highs of giving a new puppy its first vaccinations. Touches of whimsy underscore their enthusiasm. Exam rooms are named after Olson’s pets, and coowner Tom Leibl’s new puppy greets patients and their people when they visit the hospital. Olson values the hospital’s place among the greater veterinary services community in Lawrence. “For a community the size of Lawrence, we’re fortunate to have a lot of good quality veterinary hospitals,” Olson says. “I think that’s pretty neat. It gives pet owners good options where they feel comfortable.” — Julie Tollefson

Jason Dailey

Wakarusa Veterinary Hospital

“We have a lot of maturity here, but we also have youth and enthusiasm.”

Thank you Lawrence, for voting for me! — Pat Reed

I make insurance simple.® Call today to see how I make it simple to protect your family, home, car and business.

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Services

Plumber Action Plumbing

801 Comet Lane, Suite D • (785) 843-5670 Kastl Plumbing

Plumbing may not be something that’s at the top of everyone’s mind, but Kevin Hoppe knows how truly essential it is. “Plumbing does provide a very important thing for the community … keeping people healthy with the water and drain systems,” says Action Plumbing owner Kevin Hoppe. And it’s something he enjoys doing. Hoppe purchased Action Plumbing from its original owner nine years ago, but had worked with them before that. “I came out of KU and I had a degree and was looking for a job,” he says. “I had worked for the plumbing company before, so I came back to work after KU and just ended up staying.”

Jim Bost Plumbing

Hoppe has nothing but praise for the small-business community of Lawrence. “Lawrence is very important to us; we really appreciate the community and like having our business here,” he says. Like many businesses owners, Hoppe has recognized the importance of giving back to his community. Action Plumbing has helped sponsor a lot of community events, such as charity golf tournaments that raised funds for a local day care center. “It’s good to give back to the community to help out people who are less fortunate. So it’s something that we try to do,” he says. — Fally Afani

Bill Stephens

“We really appreciate the community and like having our business here.”

Thank you Lawrence for your continued support!

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“We want to be as nice and as positive as we can.” Electrician Lynn Electric & Communications Inc. Mel Lisher Electric

Electrician Danielsan Electric

(785) 371-4900

Lights off, lights on: That’s the motto of Danielsan Electric, a growing go-to source for electrical needs in Lawrence. Founded by Dan Huston, Danielsan Electric always looks to go the extra mile when dealing with customers, from the smallest of electric jobs to the biggest installations. “We want to be as nice and as positive as we can,” Huston says. It’s that attitude, Huston says, that has kept clients happy. In 2011 Danielsan Electric was given the Angie’s List Super Service Award based on the long list of positive reviews from clients.

Today the company has expanded its services to include home-theater systems. Clients can experience options through a showroom, according to Huston, then customize their order. He’s known for keeping the community’s lights on, but that’s not all Huston does. He actively gives back to the community in time and money; that also means giving employees paid days off to volunteer. “It’s important to give back to others,” he says. “We try to incorporate that theme as much as possible.” — Bethaney Wallace

Lawrence.com

Services

Photographer Oh Snap! Photography

1101 1/2 Massachusetts St. • (785) 979-5632

Ailecia Ruscin, owner of Oh Snap! Photography, got her start snapping the action during concerts: no poses, no setup, no doovers. The work taught her to seek out and capture moments of true, unfiltered emotion — skills that serve her well shooting weddings and portraits for a growing list of clients. Her photography style complements her artistic philosophy — “Everyone is beautiful at every stage in life,” according to her website. “It’s a big part of my personal aesthetic and my own belief system,” Ruscin says. Before she ever opens her camera bag, Ruscin spends hours getting to know her clients. Based on their interests, she plans photo shoots designed to create lasting memories. From the

Schaumburg Photography

grain elevator in North Lawrence to downtown alleys, from small Kansas City parks to Perry Lake, she chooses locations that fit each client’s style. “I’m really just trying to create a fun experience,” she says. Ruscin opened Oh Snap! in 2011, when she was a graduate student at Kansas University, where she was known as “the girl who likes to take pictures.” She took the risk, she says, despite trepidation about the perils of owning a business in unstable economic times. In the beginning, fellow graduate students were her first clients. Now, she’s booked to shoot weddings through the end of 2015 and into 2016. — Julie Tollefson

Courtesy of Oh Snap!

The Crystal Image

“I’m really just trying to create a fun experience.”

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Pet Care Pawsh Wash and Pet Health Market

Ten years ago, sisters Amber Nickel and Nichele Spurling had an idea. They regularly hauled Spurling’s Labrador to a self-service pet bath in Kansas City and always, on the way back to Lawrence, talked about how cool it would be to have a similar option in Lawrence. “Finally, the light bulb went on and we thought we’d try it,” Nickel says. And that’s how Pawsh Wash and Pet Health Market was born. Their original idea to offer space for owners to wash their own pets has evolved. “We found ourselves washing people’s dogs for them,” Nickel says. “When you’re young and getting started, you say yes to pretty much everything.” Then came requests for “bang trims”

to get hair out of dogs’ eyes, then summer shave downs, then full professional grooming. Today, Pawsh Wash offers a mix of selfservice and full-service pet care plus sales of a range of quality pet products. The 15 to 20 staff members see more than 200 dogs a week, offer more limited services for cats, and welcome the occasional goat or rabbit. “We pride ourselves on the amount of education and training that everybody on our staff goes through and their desire to be the best at what they do,” Nickel says. “We aren’t just here to bathe dogs; we’re here to help make our community the best place to own dogs and cats.” — Julie Tollefson

Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital

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Services

Handyman Patrick Shea, Shea Handyman Services

825 Massachusetts St. • (785) 691-8511 Greg Springer

“You never know what you are going to do one day to the next.”

Kevin and Casey Kesinger, K and C Concrete

Everyone needs a good handyman. While some of us are lucky enough to have a friend or family member who is both handy and generous, the rest of us need a reliable person we can call when things break. For many people in Lawrence, that person is Patrick Shea of Shea Handyman Services. “It’s something that I always did for myself, and eventually I started doing it for family and friends as well,” he says. “One day a friend told me I should just start doing it full-time, so I did.” Shea, who spent years working in law enforcement, started Shea Handyman Services in 2009. The jobs that Shea

takes on include a little bit of everything: interior and exterior repair work, small plumbing and electrical issues. Alas, roofs are no longer included. “At the age of 60, I’ve decided that getting up on those ladders is dangerous,” he says. Shea has no shortage of business, and because it’s a one-man operation his clients sometimes have to practice patience. “People will call me sometimes and ask if me or my crew can squeeze in a quick job, and I tell them, ‘I am the crew,’” Shea says. “I really like the people I meet, and I like the variance in the work. You never know what you are going to do one day to the next.” — Liz Weslander

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Accountant or Tax Consultant 1. Roark & Associates, PA 2. Kahn & Associates Inc. 3. Kohart Accounting, PA

Hearing Aid Provider 1. Lawrence Hearing Aid Center 2. Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates, LLC 3. Kaw Valley Hearing

Auto Body Repair 1. Hite Collision Repair Center 2. Steve’s Auto Plaza Body Shop Inc. 3. Pearson Collision Repair

Home Handyman or Lady 1. Patrick Shea 2. Greg Springer 3. Kevin and Casey Kesinger, K and C Concrete

Auto Service Repair 1. Westside 66 and Carwash 2. Lawrence Automotive Diagnostics Inc. 3. Crown Toyota

Insurance Agency 1. Ron King, American Family Insurance 2. CEK Insurance 3. Kurt Goeser, State Farm

Barber 1. Downtown Barber Shop 2. Amyx Barber Shop 3. Rex’s Stadium Barber Shop Childcare Center 1. Hilltop Child Development Center 2. Stepping Stones 3. Googols of Learning Computer Repair or Service 1. UNI Computers 2. DoctorDave Computer Repair 3. Geek Squad Dry Cleaner/Laundry 1. Scotch Fabric Care Services 2. Eco-Logic Dry Cleaners 3. Lawrence Laundromat Electrician 1. Danielsan Electric 2. Lynn Electric & Communications Inc. 3. Mel Lisher Electric Event Planner 1. A Beautiful Wedding by Carmen Hocking 2. Red Door Event & Design 3. Be Seen! Event Planning Flooring 1. Kring’s Interiors 2. Paradise Carpet One Floor & Home 3. Pod’s Discount Carpets Hair Salon 1. Salon Di Marco & Day Spa 2. Static Hair Salon 3. Greenroom Salon Hair Stylist 1. Brad Hestand, Bzar Salon 2. TIE: Roxanne McCoy-Klaus, Static Hair Salon Kevin Shutts, Static Hair Salon 3. Suzi McKinney, Greenroom Salon

Insurance Agent 1. Ron King, American Family Insurance 2. Patricia Reed, Farm Bureau Financial Services 3. D J Flummerfelt, American Family Insurance Interior Designer 1. Rynette Designs 2. Jane Bateman Interiors 3. Winfield House

Pet Care 1. Pawsh Wash and Pet Health Market 2. Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital 3. Home Sweet Home Dog Resort Photographer 1. Oh Snap! Photography 2. The Crystal Image 3. Schaumburg Photography Plumber 1. Action Plumbing 2. Kastl Plumbing 3. Jim Bost Plumbing Printing Service 1. Printing Solutions 2. Minuteman Press 3. Pro-Print Property Management Company 1. First Management 2. Tuckaway Management 3. Midwest Property Management Real Estate Agency 1. McGrew Real Estate 2. Stephens Real Estate 3. Keller Williams Realty Diamond Partners

Landscaping Service 1. Lawrence Landscape 2. Turf Masters Inc. 3. Parker Landscape Management Inc.

Realtor 1. Nicholas Lerner, McGrew Real Estate 2. Holly Garber, American Dream Realty 3. Tanya Kulaga, Realty Executives Hedges Real Estate Roofing Company 1. Alpha Roofing, LLC 2. Garrison Roofing 3. K S R Roofing Tanning 1. Mango Tan 2. The TAN Company 3. Ultimate Tan and Spa T-shirt or Screen Printing 1. Acme 2. Happy Shirt Printing 3. Blue Collar Press Utility Company 1. City of Lawrence Utilities 2. AT&T U-Verse 3. Westar Energy Veterinarian 1. Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital 2. Wakarusa Veterinary Hospital 3. Lewis Veterinary Clinic

Thank you, Lawrence!

Law Firm 1. Stevens & Brand, LLP 2. Law Offices of David J. Brown, LC 3. Riling, Burkhead & Nitcher, CHTD Lawyer 1. David J. Brown, LC 2. TIE: John Frydman, Frydman Criminal Defense Darryl Graves, PC 3. Rick Frydman, Frydman Law Office Nail Salon 1. Salon Di Marco & Day Spa 2. Nail Citi 3. Chieu’s Nail Salon Painting Service 1. KB Painting, LLC 2. Color My World Painting & Countertop Resurfacing 3. Starlight Painting

Lawrence.com

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Services

And the winners are...

entertainment &nightlife

Best of Lawrence 2015

Jason Dailey

“We prepare everything thoughtfully, and that includes the bar.” happy hour Free State Brewing Company Ted’s Taphouse

Happy Hour Merchants Pub & Plate

746 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-4111 Partakers in Merchants Pub & Plates’ happy hour specials have much more to look forward to than a cheap swig after work. With 30 craft beers on tap at any given time, customers at the historic former bank building can expect the best, owner Emily Peterson says. “The quality of the product we offer at happy hour is second to none,” Peterson says. “Other bars may offer wells, and the beer selection is limited.” Beginning April 1, Merchants “upgraded” its happy hour specials, Peterson says. The restaurant previously offered $2 draft beers from a selection of four. Now during happy hour, any craft beer pint with less than 7 percent alcohol is 50 percent off and select wines and craft cocktails are just $5. Peterson says Merchants offers higher quality beverages because she believes the values and quality of the restaurant should extend to the bar.

“We prepare everything thoughtfully, and that includes the bar,” Peterson says. “We want our customers to feel the love in everything we’re making.” One of Peterson’s favorite reasons for offering discounted craft beers is because it encourages beer drinkers to become beer connoisseurs. She says she and her staff are “beer geeks,” so it’s fun to have customers who are experimental. “We ask [customers] what types of beers they normally like and sample them a couple of beers to find something that fits them,” Peterson says. “We’re like personal beer shoppers.” Happy hours are 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close, Monday through Thursday; and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday happy hour runs all day, and all beer pints, no matter the alcohol content, are half price. — Caitlin Doornbos Lawrence.com

Entertainment & Nightlife

Tattoo Shop BDC Tattoo

938 Massachusetts St. • (785) 312-8288 Abraxas Tattoo Co.

Most people who walk in the door of BDC Tattoo (formerly Big Daddy Cadillac) know what they’re getting themselves into: some pain. Every so often, though, tattoo artist and shop co-owner Steven Bridgman might encounter someone in need of good, oldfashioned bedside manner. “We keep our time on the skin short, push them through and don’t let them give up,” Bridgman says. “We try to talk to them and take their mind off it.” Sometimes, he says, it’s best to bring in a friend or two for support. Or five. “It can get kind of loud in here,” Bridgman jokes of his shop, which he describes as having a fun and laidback vibe. The tattoo studio, which is celebrating

Ichiban Tattoo Studio

10 years at its current Massachusetts Street location, attracts a “diverse crowd” of college students, local residents and folks from outside the city. Some drive a couple of hours just to get inked at BDC Tattoo, Bridgman says. He’s not sure what draws longtime customers to the shop (“I’d have to ask my clients”), but he guesses it might have something to do with the quality of the work, the relaxed atmosphere and reasonable prices. “I have a few people who have been coming to see me since I started here,” Bridgman says. “You’ll go through stages where you see them once a month or you might see them once a year, but they’ll always come back.” — Joanna Hlavacek

Nick Krug

“I have a few people who have been coming to see me since I started here.”

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Entertainment & Nightlife

Live Music Venue Liberty Hall

644 Massachusetts St. • (785) 749-1972

“The Hall is whatever you want it to be, and I think that’s what makes it interesting.”

What do Joan Baez and the Wu-Tang Clan have in common? Both acts — along with such varied artists as Willie Nelson, Sonic Youth, M.I.A. and The Police, among others — have performed at Liberty Hall, Lawrence’s pick for best live music venue. “There really isn’t another place in town that you can go from a really highscale, sit-down kind of show to a dirty, punk-rock theater vibe,” says events manager Dean Edington, who remembers attending several of his favorite concerts at Liberty Hall as a young man. “The Hall is whatever you want it to be, and I think that’s what makes it interesting.” The venue boasts a similarly quirky history. An abolitionist newspaper, The Herald of Freedom, was the first business to occupy the corner of Seventh and Massachusetts Streets, where Liberty Hall now stands. After being burned to the ground during the sacking of Lawrence in 1856, it was rebuilt the same year and in 1870 was christened Liberty Hall, deriving from an Abraham Lincoln quote in which he called Lawrence “the cradle of liberty.” The building, as it appears today, opened in 1912 as the Bowersock Opera House and ever since, “there’s been some form of live entertainment” streaming from Liberty Hall’s theater, Edington says. “Whenever a place has occupied this same area like we have for 103 years now, it obviously builds up a kind of mystique,” he says. “The building is alive and the people have a relationship with it. That’s really the thing.” — Joanna Hlavacek

Live Music Venue The Granada The Bottleneck

Fally Afani

100

Best of Lawrence 2015

Nick Krug

“The most beneficial thing we’ve done for evolving our wine list is being open-minded.” From a glass of house wine at $6 to a bottle of Chateau Latour for $1,200, 715 has something for everyone, says co-owner and manager Matt Hyde of his downtown restaurant. “The core of the list is $20, $30 and $40 items,” Hyde says. “We wanted to make sure we had all different choices at each price level.” The extensive wine list, including about 100 selections from South Africa to New Zealand, has grown from a “simple list” when the restaurant opened in 2009, Hyde says. As more customers came with new preferences and requests, the list expanded. “The most beneficial thing we’ve done for evolving our wine list is being open-minded,” Hyde says. “We’re always open to suggestions from guests.”

Wine List 715

715 Massachusetts St. • (785) 856-7150 One such suggestion came from a visit by Google Maps inventor and Lawrence native Brian McClendon, who “travels a lot” and said he’d “appreciate some more unique offerings,” Hyde says. And it’s not just guests who make suggestions. Hyde says 715 prioritizes making wine work with its menu and he holds tastetesting sessions for his employees so they are prepared to make wine-pairing suggestions with their customers’ meals. “We talk to the staff, but we don’t tell them what to suggest,” Hyde says. “They’re educated, and take questions from guests. If they don’t know something, they will find someone who does.” — Joanna Hlavacek

Wine List Merchant’s Pub & Plate Mariscos

Lawrence.com

101

Entertainment & Nightlife

Liquor Store On The Rocks

1818 Massachusetts St. • (785) 841-2337 Cork & Barrel

Having won best liquor store in 2013 and 2014 and having scored runnerup in 2012, On The Rocks general manager Matt Easley attributes the store’s consistent success to its “neighborhood feel with a metropolitan selection.” Easley says the store, which boasts a spacious beer cave with more than 600 types of beer, offers one of the largest selections of alcohol in Lawrence. But that’s not the only thing that keeps customers coming back, he says; it’s also On The Rocks’ focus on customer service. “We’re being ourselves and being nice to customers, greeting them when they enter and helping to carry (their

Jensen’s Liquor

purchases) out to their cars,” Easley says. Easley says the “neighborhood feel” comes from the business’ Massachusetts Street location and its loyal staff. “Many employees have been here since we first opened, live nearby and know the customers,” Easley says. With the store’s vast inventory, Easley’s staff must be knowledgeable about the store’s selections and be able offer advice to customers. “A lot of people know just a little bit about what they like, and we steer people to try new things,” Easely says. “We’re not just selling product; we want people to really enjoy it.” — Caitlin Doornbos

Nick Krug

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Bartender Dave Johanning, The Sandbar

If you’ve ever spent one too many dollars — or brain cells — on the Sandbar’s famous “shot wheel,” you’ll have to thank longtime bartender and managing partner Dave Johanning. Johanning, who has spent the last two decades mixing drinks at the tropical-themed hot spot, is the brainchild of some of The Sandbar’s most treasured traditions. A few nights a week at 10, you’ll find him facilitating indoor “hurricanes” — in which a fake newscast warns us of Neptune’s rage before a high-tech vortex machine begins blowing cocktail napkins around the bar — for enthusiastic customers. “It’s probably been 15 years and still going strong,” Johanning says of the admittedly cheesy stunt, which he devised with co-owner Peach Madl and her brother. “The girls still like

to get up [on the bar] on their birthday and put on the mermaid costume and do a little dance.” Of course, he had already made a name for himself long before inventing his “obnoxious, flashing wheel of happiness.” The 6-foot10 Johanning played center on the Kansas University basketball team before joining The Sandbar party in 1995. Luckily for Lawrence, he’s “loved it ever since.” The mix of 15-year regulars and college students keeps the job fresh, he says. “The reason I do it is because I love people. I see that influx of new energy and new faces every year,” Johanning says of working at The Sandbar. “You get to make new friends all the time. To me, that’s what living’s all about.” — Joanna Hlavacek

Adam Lott, The Bourgeois Pig

Chris Neverve, Red Lyon Tavern

Thank You!

For voting Kwik Shop one of the Best of Lawrence!

The Best in Lawrence Convenience at 6 Locations • 1846 Massachusetts

• 1420 Kasold

• 1611 E 23rd Street

• 3440 W 6th Street

• 4841 W 6th Street

• 845 Mississippi

Courtesy of The Sandbar

17 E. Eighth St. • (785) 842-0111

“The reason I do it is because I love people.”

Entertainment & Nightlife

Local Band Truckstop Honeymoon

www.truckstophoneymoon.com

Jason Dailey

Come fall, Mike and Katie West will celebrate 12 years in Lawrence. The Midwestern oasis has become home for the husband-and-wife team that forms Truckstop Honeymoon, Lawrence’s favorite local band. Truckstop Honeymoon, with Mike on banjo and Katie on bass, weaves elements of bluegrass, music hall jazz and rock ‘n’ roll into a catalog of playful, high-energy tunes that often reflect realities from their own lives. Mike and Katie met in New Orleans’ French Quarter, and famously spent their wedding night in a truckstop somewhere between Lafayette and Atchafalaya Swamp — hence the name Truckstop Honeymoon. They relocated here after Hurricane Katrina washed away their house and recording studio in 2005. “People have been extraordinarily good to us here — neighbors, people we didn’t really know,” Mike says of his adopted hometown. “When we came to this town, people really took us in.” Since then, they’ve rebuilt their recording studio, continued to tour nationally and around the world, and even brought a little piece of the Big Easy to Lawrence: the city’s annual Mardi Gras parade. And, with a new album on the way, Truckstop Honeymoon isn’t slowing down. As usual, they’ll also be hitting the road this summer, along with their four kids (ages 5, 7, 11 and 14). “The last album we made was a little more of a rock ‘n’ roll record,” Mike says. “This one might have more of an acoustic feel, but we’ll see. It could all change.” — Joanna Hlavacek

Local Band Sellout

“People have been extraordinarily good to us here — neighbors, people we didn’t really know.” 104

Best of Lawrence 2015

The Sluts

Thank you Lawrence

My customers are the greatest. As an American Family agent, I consider it an honor to be trusted with helping you protect your family through good times and bad. Thank you.

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Hours: Monday – Friday: 7:30 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm

www.stevesautoplaza.com plaza.com

! e c n e r w a L , e t o v r u o y r o f u o Y k n a Th

Locally Owned and Operated for Over 35 Year Years. rs.

~ The Staff at Steve’s Auto Plaza Body Shop

Entertainment & Nightlife

Bar Free State Brewing Company

636 Massachusetts St. • (785) 843-4555

“We’re a community gathering spot.”

Aside from that little university on the hill, it could be argued that no Lawrence institution is as widely beloved as Free State Brewing Company. The downtown bar and eatery has been a hit with locals since opening its doors in winter 1989, when it became Kansas’ first legal brewery in more than 100 years. “We’re not solely a sports bar, and we’re not solely a gastro pub,” says longtime Free State owner Chuck Magerl. “We’re a community gathering spot.” After more than 25 years in business, Magerl says he’s still surprised by the range of customers — from college students to senior citizens — who walk through his door every day. “I remember we had a fellow stop in who had just gotten his driver’s license renewal at 82 years old, and he had just stopped in to get a beer and celebrate,” Magerl recalls. “I thought that had a nice spirit to it.” With anywhere from 12 to 16 varieties of Free State brews available behind the bar, the place really does have something for everyone, says Magerl — though the Copperhead Pale Ale might just be the consistent best-seller. Almost every beer sold at Free State is brewed on the premises, Magerl says. Customers seated at the bar can watch the process unfold in fermentation tanks beyond a glass wall a few feet away. “I think people are continuing to look for greater flavor, greater variety and greater quality,” he says. “What we’ve been doing here for years really dovetails with that desire to enjoy food and beer.” — Joanna Hlavacek

bar The Sandbar Red Lyon Tavern Jason Dailey

106

Best of Lawrence 2015

And the winners are... Bar 1. Free State Brewing Company 2. The Sandbar 3. Red Lyon Tavern

Live Music Venue 1. Liberty Hall 2. The Granada 3. The Bottleneck

Bartender 1. Dave Johanning, The Sandbar 2. Adam Lott, The Bourgeois Pig 3. Chris Neverve, Red Lyon Tavern

Local Band 1. Truckstop Honeymoon 2. Sellout 3. The Sluts

Beer Selection 1. Merchants Pub & Plate 2. Free State Brewing Company 3. Ted’s Taphouse

Place to get a Cocktail or Mixed Drink 1. 715 2. The Bourgeois Pig 3. John Brown’s Underground

Date Spot 1. 715 2. Merchants Pub & Plate 3. Free State Brewing Company

Now Serving Brunch!

Every Sunday – 10:00a – 3:00p Half Price Beers All Day

Place to get a Margarita 1. Cielito Lindo 2. El Mezcal 3. El Potro

Happy Hour 1. Merchants Pub & Plate 2. 715 3. 23rd Street Brewery

Tattoo Shops 1. BDC Tattoo 2. Abraxas Tattoo Co. 3. Ichiban Tattoo Studio

Liquor Store 1. On The Rocks 2. Cork & Barrel 3. Jensen’s Liquor

Wine List 1. 715 Restaurant 2. Merchants Pub & Plate 3. Mariscos

Check Out The Menu at MerchantsOnMass.com Located at 746 Massachusetts Street in historic downtown Lawrence, KS – we’re easy to spot at the corner of 8th and Mass!

Get Lynn On The Line!

785-843-LYNN • 785-843-5966 www.LynnElectric.com

SERVICE

ELECTRIC

24-hour Service Commercial Industrial Residential Panel Upgrades Parking Lot Lighting

Commercial Industrial Multi-Family Design Build Design Assist Remodel

Thank you

for your business and your vote in Best of Lawrence 725 N 2nd Street, Suite K • Lawrence KS 66044

Lawrence Gymnastics & Athletics

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Day Camps

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Recreational Gymnastics ages 12 mos & up

Boys Classes Open Gyms “Building Better Kids Since 1994” 4930 Legends Drive

785-865-0856

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ON MAS

2429 Iowa Street 785-856-2550 www.biggsribs.com

4801 Bauer Farm Dr. 785.856.2233 www.burgersbybiggs.com

719 Mass St. 785-841-6400 www.biggonmass.com

Come On In, We’re Open ‘Til 10!

YOUR HOMETOWN BURGER JOINT!

Your Truly Local BBQ

OLDEST RUNNING BBQ IN LAWRENCE!

Thank You Lawrence for voting us Best of Lawrence for Best Auto Repair! Serving loyal, Lawrence customers since 1957. • Full-service • Seven days a week • Tires and tire repairs

• Oil changes • Maintenance • Batteries • No charge for air

E-15 E-85

Most Gas Stations

85% 15%

% of Pure Gasoline

90% 100%

Westside 66 Premium

Know what fuel you are putting in your vehicle! We may be a few cents more, but it’s worth it in the long-run.

Westside 66 and Car Wash Premium Ethanol-Free Gasoline 2815 West 6th St. • (785) 843-1878 Lawrence’s only full service and pure gasoline station!

THANK YOU LAWRENCE

! s te ia oc s s A & s er m to us C t es We have the B

Proud to be part of Kansas for 90 years!