Papa Keno’s LLC files lawsuit after Overland Park Papa Keno’s owners change branch name to Buffalo State Pizza

Papa Keno’s LLC filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Overland Park Papa Keno’s restaurant on Jan. 29 after the owners decided to separate their building from the Papa Keno’s company and change their restaurant’s name to Buffalo State Pizza. 

The two owners of the what was previously Overland Park Papa Keno’s, Philippe Lechevin and Steve Robson, declined to comment on or confirm the lawsuit. However, they explained the rebranding from Papa Keno’s to Buffalo State Pizza in a message addressed to their customers.

The message was posted on a sign sitting atop Buffalo State Pizza’s ordering counter, where the owners addressed the changes. They said the establishment was “separating with [their] third party in efforts to better serve [their] customers.” The sign promises that the change will bring “new and improved menu items, fresh ingredients, and vegan/gluten free/keto options.”

The Overland Park restaurant employs multiple East students including sophomore David Pearcy, who has been working there since early September. According to Pearcy, the change to Buffalo State Pizza was sudden.

“[Steve] said ‘I spent a lot of money — I’m not gonna say the amount — to a marketing group to rebrand the restaurant within a week,’” Pearcy said. “We came in one day and it was completely gutted with anything that said Papa Kenos. Nothing was allowed to say Papa Keno’s.”

President of Papa Keno’s LLC David Hawley describes a similar suddenness in a written response, saying that he learned of the Overland Park branch’s separation when Lechevin and Robson’s lawyer sent a letter that they would be “ending their license agreement in four days.” 

Both Pearcy and fellow East sophomore Garrett Smith, who has been working at the restaurant for three months, seemed to be unaware of a lawsuit.

“I don’t think [the lawsuit] is true, going off of what Steve said,” Pearcy said. “But Papa Keno’s does seem to be around a lot of turmoil right now.”

Despite the changes, the restaurant is still focused on pizza and runs similarly as it did when it was still called Papa Keno’s. Children can still be found running to the back to play on the arcade machines, and the same system of ordering at the front and seating yourself is used.

“It’s not a big change,” Smith said. “If you went to Papa Keno’s and you liked it there, you’d still like [Buffalo State Pizza] now.”

Even though the current restaurant looks similar to Papa Keno’s, Pearcy says that some customers have noticed the name change. Pearcy usually gives the same rehearsed line.

“Usually if I’m on the phone with someone it’s like, ‘Oh you guys changed to Buffalo State? How did that happened?’ And [I say] ‘We’re independent now, everything’s gonna be a little bit better.’” 

Pearcy says they still have to paint the walls and change the interior — with more “buffalo” style decorations — although he notes that despite some confusion, they won’t be serving Buffalo wings.