Cultivating kindness over brunch: Why a Wichita couple’s homegrown chain is expanding to KC this summer

Attracted to the spirit and community of Kansas City’s Brookside neighborhood, Jon Rolph immediately knew it was the perfect place to expand his Wichita-based daytime eatery, he shared. 

“We wanted a place that feels like home to us,” said Rolph, who owns and founded HomeGrown with his wife, Lauren. “When we came across Brookside, it just felt right. There’s a lot about the personality, and it’s a real strong community presence.

Jon Rolph, HomeGrown

“After we officially announced the restaurant opening, we went to deliver some homemade pop tarts to the stores and got to know our new neighbors,” Rolph added. “The reception we received, and our conversations with the other shop owners, reaffirms that Brookside is the right spot for HomeGrown.”

That spot — 338 W. 63rd St., formerly Avenues Bistro — is set to debut in July.

Homegrown, which first opened in May 2017 and now has three locations in Wichita, is known for its locally-sourced ingredients (as well as delightful, homemade pop tarts), Rolph shared. 

“It’s important to us that we put out fresh, made-from-scratch meals at a very reasonable price,” he noted. “ … Breakfast is very habitual for people. We want people to come in and feel like they are treating their bodies right.”

Click here to learn more about HomeGrown.

Partnering with local farmers and makers not only benefits HomeGrown, but it helps the entire community succeed, Rolph explained.

“We wanted to make sure that we could work to keep the local dollars in the community,” he said. “So, our espresso beans come from a local coffee roaster in Wichita. Our bacon and sausage is from a butcher just outside of Wichita — and he was getting people walking into his shop and asking for the bacon they get at HomeGrown. We want to help build that exposure.”

Rolph and his team plan to build those same connections with local businesses in Kansas City, he said — noting that partnerships do not need to be food related. From the tables and art decor inside the restaurant, to tea or honey for a specialty drink, Rolph sees an opportunity for local partnership.

“I am encouraging people to get in touch with us through our Facebook page if they have a product that they want us to try and sell,” Rolph said.

Click here to get in touch with the HomeGrown team.

The Rolph family

More than a just a place to eat 

Rolph grew up a restaurant kid. His father and uncle opened the first Carlos O’Kelly’s Inspired Mex 40 years ago in Wichita — ingraining entrepreneurship in his DNA, he shared.  

[pullquote]Thrive Restaurant Group operates Homegrown, Carlos O’Kelly’s and Applebee’s locations. Jon Rolph is also the owner and founder of Thrive.[/pullquote]  

When it was time to build his own brand, Rolph and his wife both knew they wanted to send a message that was bigger than HomeGrown, Rolph continued. 

They landed on: Cultivate Kindness. 

“That’s who we are,” Rolph said. “We’ve really tried to build a brand around this idea that — we serve a great breakfast, but we also invite people into this idea of cultivating kindness.”

In an effort to get children involved in their mission, Rolph and his team implemented a Kindness Mailbox, he shared. Half of the HomeGrown children’s menu is a postcard that children are invited to color and write an address on. They drop it off in the Kindness Mailbox, and then the restaurant team sends it out for mailing. 

“Kids can tell their grandparents that they love them, or send a message to a teacher who they appreciate,” Rolph said. “That’s really exciting because it feels like our message has come alive, and it’s full of new discoveries for us. I can’t wait to see how that continues to evolve over the next 10 to 15 years through the HomeGrown brand.”