Spears History

Spear’s Restaurant & Pie Shop is a family-oriented restaurant with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where young and old alike can enjoy a bit of yester-year. This nostalgic ambiance is created by catching sight of the many antiques that stir up memories and inspire conversations of a not so distant past. From the home-style cooked meals brought out of our kitchen, to the wide variety of homemade pies, we’re honored to continue the heritage of this traditional family business where people really matter.

Spears Restaurant traces its roots back to May 1956 when Gene Spear, his wife Betty, and his mother, Mayme Rassmussen converted a large house at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Oliver into a restaurant and opened it for business. After a year, Gene bought his mother out, and, quite simply, worked hard along with his wife to make the restaurant go.

Although he was only 24 at the time, Gene grew up in the business, doing various jobs at the cafes his mother either owned or managed in Wichita during the ‘40s. One of those was the Veteran’s Grille which she sold in 1955.

The business continued at that location until 1968 when Spear’s constructed a 7,200 square-foot restaurant just north of the site at 1930 S. Oliver. As Gene & Betty’s three children grew, so did the business. With the help and involvement of their sons Gary, Rick and Randy, Spear’s Restaurant eventually expanded.

Recent Spears History

To read more about recent Spears history, visit the Kansas.com article in regards to the ownership change in 2014!