Jefferson’s.
About
ABOUT JEFFERSON’S RESTAURANTS
News
Jefferson’s in the News
“IN THE EARLY DAYS, PEOPLE LOVED OUR WINGS SO MUCH, WE USED TO RUN OUT OF THEM”
About
We opened our second store location in June of 2000 in Lawrence, Kansas. Once again Jefferson’s was an instant hit. Located on historic Massachusetts St. in downtown Lawrence, Jefferson’s has blended nicely with the eclectic mix of restaurants and pubs and has been a Lawrence favorite for 24 years. Thanks to our loyal customers, we now have 36 Jefferson’s in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and Kansas. We would love to serve our world famous wings in your hometown.
Thanks again,
Jefferson’s
Team
Support Staff .
Brandon Graham.
President
Brandon Graham graduated from the University of Kansas, where his love for Jefferson’s first started in 2000 when they opened their second location ever in his hometown. He’s been a franchisee for over 12 years now and worked for the brand for 6 years before acquiring Jefferson’s Franchise Systems in April 2018.
Additionally, he has owned and operated four other concepts before and during his time with Jefferson’s. Brandon understands franchising, and the impact that leadership and partnership from the franchisor makes to the operators that work hard to build the brand every day.
He’s married and has triplet boys who enjoy being in their two family owned Jefferson’s restaurants in Lawrence. They’re the biggest double dipped wing fans you can find and really enjoy “helping” the servers in the restaurants!
NED NELSON.
Vice President
As a 30 plus year veteran of restaurants, Ned has done it all in the business. Still not afraid of busing a table or making a drink at the bar, he loves all aspects of this business. His strength has become the business side of restaurants. The last 15 years have been focused on real estate, franchising, and helping people bring their dreams of owning their own business come to life. His daily focus is to negotiate the best possible products at the best possible price coming into the back doors of our restaurants.
Ned said he joined Jefferson’s because of the unbelievable passion displayed by the support center team, franchisees, and direction of the company. This brand is going places, and he is excited to be a big part of its success. His free time is spent watching his 15-year-old son play golf and anything to do with the Kansas Jayhawks.
ANDREW COLLMEYER.
Director of Operations
Andrew spent the first two decades of his career working professionally in the beer business and came to know Jefferson’s in 2014 when moving to Lawrence, KS. Andrew’s been hooked on the double dipped wings ever since. He worked alongside the Lawrence franchises of Jefferson’s as their beer distributor building a bigger and better beer portfolio for the restaurants.
In his 21 years in the corporate beer world, he spent 15 years of those in upper management including as a District Manager. Andrew prides himself on his ability to effectively communicate with anybody and everybody he meets.
Andrew and his wife, Mindy, have two kids, Max (17) and Chloe (12), as well as a golden retriever named Hank. Andrew is at his best grilling out for his family & friends with the tunes rocking and an ice cold beer in hand!
Arielle Long-Seabra.
Director of Marketing
Arielle is an accomplished marketing leader having worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade. Her career started in 2013 when she joined Applebee’s International, igniting her passion for restaurant marketing. Since then, she has traversed various roles, from the the largest grill and bar brand to the dynamic environment of Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs, guiding brand leadership for the Dairy Queen account at Barkley, and now, of course, with Jefferson’s – excited to share the good news of Double Dipped wings.
She has a passion for crafting strategic restaurant marketing plans excels in forging strategic partnerships, evident from her successful collaborations with sports icons like Patrick Mahomes and Sporting Kansas City, effectively highlighting key brand messages for previous Brands. She’s also a native to the digital domain on social media. She has adeptly overseen brand-wide location-specific advertising, orchestrated hands-on community management programs for franchisees, and produced engaging social-first content that promotes the brand identity.
If you need her outside of work – you can find her enjoying an audiobook, a trip, or a full order of SAUCED Chicken Nachos.
Tim Barnes.
Franchise Field Operations Consultant
Tim is a former General Manager for the Jefferson’s Downtown Lawrence location. In his 6 years in this location, he worked in every facet of the restaurant in his tenure from back-of-house to front-of-house to management. He has almost two decades of experience in the restaurant industry, including his most recent position with Granite City Food & Brewery in Naperville, IL.
Tim couldn’t stay away from Jefferson’s for long and joined the team in 2021 to lead back of house operations. He is excited to be back with Jefferson’s and to be a part of the growth of the system.
LaZarus “Z” Carter.
Franchise Field Operations Consultant
Z started his career with Jefferson’s as a Manager for the Oxford, AL location back in 2010. Two short years later, he worked his way up to General Manager and never looked back. In the years to follow, Z earned further promotions, serving as the Director of Operations for several Jefferson’s restaurant markets in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
When the Jefferson’s Franchise Systems’ Field Operations position was announced in 2021, Z was excited for the opportunity to join the JFS team and take the next steps in his career. He is well versed in both Front and Back of House Operations, jumping in to help the team win by playing any role necessary. His natural leadership through coaching and remaining levelheaded in high energy environments makes him a perfect fit.
Legend has it that Z skipped a recruiting visit to hang with some buddies at Jefferson’s in Jacksonville, AL in 2001. Funny how the campus hangout spot ultimately turned into his career path (isn’t that the dream?!) In his personal time, Z can be found at the gym living out his hoop dreams, playing the stock market or shopping at Foot Locker.
Chelsea Jennings.
Franchise Field Operations Consultant
James Stephenson.
Franchise Field Operations Consultant
With nearly a decade of experience in the restaurant industry in Lawrence, KS, James has cultivated a deep understanding of the dynamics that drive success in this business. As an ardent football enthusiast, he loved watching games over a basket of wings at Jefferson’s, sparking his passion for the brand. In 2019, James took the leap and embarked on a journey with Jefferson’s, starting as the Assistant Area Manager and diligently climbing the ranks to eventually become the Area Manager in Kansas.
James became the driving force behind the successful launch of the Topeka location in 2022, serving as the General Manager. Working hand in hand with Andrew, he expertly oversaw the grand opening and skillfully managed the store’s day-to-day operations. Now, James is gearing up to share his wealth of expertise as a Franchise Field Consultant, moved him to the Chattanooga area to better cater to our Southern locations. With his unwavering commitment and boundless enthusiasm, James is set to make a significant impact on Jefferson’s growth and success.
Kelly Sullivan.
Procurement Manager
After graduating from Emporia State in 1988, Kelly began his 30+ year career in the restaurant industry. Starting as a franchisee owner of two Mr Goodcents Subs and Pastas locations in the ’90s, he eventually found his way to procurement as a sales consultant for Sysco KC for 22 years.
Kelly’s Jefferson’s story began in 2000, when the 2nd Jefferson’s location opened up in Downtown Lawrence, KS. He was the initial Sysco representative for the Lawrence location when it opened, and continued in this role for Jefferson’s KC market for two decades. He couldn’t get enough of the Double Dipped wings, and finally joined the JFS team in 2022!
Kelly is married with one daughter who is a nurse. Him and his family love to spend time at the beach any chance they can get and cheering on the Kansas Jayhawks!
Ryann Noyce.
Brand Marketing Manager
Ryann started her college experience at Johnson County Community College where she played soccer for two years before transferring to The University of Kansas. While attending KU she started her Jefferson’s career as a server, bartender and manager. It was during this time she fell in love with the brand (and the Double Dipped wings). After graduation she joined the Jefferson’s Franchise Systems with an interest in local store marketing and building positive connections within the community.
Ryann has a passion for creativity and in her personal time you can find her crafting, reading or most likely gaming.
Alexandra b. clark.
Controller
In 2018, Alexandra joined Jefferson’s as its Controller. She previously worked with Profit Plus Business Solutions, LLC located in De Soto, KS in accounting and payroll services focusing on the restaurant industry. Prior to working for Profit Plus Business Solutions, LLC, she was an outside controller engaged by Prosody Consulting, LLC located in Kansas City, MO. From 2006 to 2012, Alexandra worked as a controller for IRR-Residential, LLC in Westwood, KS.
pam kirkpatrick.
Jefferson’s Foundation Executive Director
Pam received her MBA with an emphasis in nonprofit, from Park University in 2016. She joined the Jefferson’s Foundation as Executive Director in 2018. Prior to joining the foundation, she worked for Graham Restaurant Group as the Director of Marketing and Community Outreach.
She also sat on the board for Gold Glove Charities and worked for 11 years as the Director of a local nonprofit that offered recreation programs for children. She is excited every day about working with the Jefferson’s organization and is inspired by their commitment and vision to assist all children, who are less fortunate, by offering them support when needed and to ensure these children receive the physical and financial needs to encourage a stable and healthy environment to grow and develop.
Pam is married, has four children and nine grandchildren. Her spare time consists of attending her grandchildren’s ballgames, wrestling matches, dance recitals and other activities. She and her husband are diehard KC Royal and KC Chief fans and of course, they love their Jayhawks!
