Jazzy B's BBQ

a Black-owned, family-operated Kansas City barbecue business in Lee’s Summit, MO, founded as a food truck by Kansas City native Brandon “Jazzy” Simpson around 2010-2012. Built on hickory-smoked KC barbecue blended with Louisiana/Cajun and global fusion flavors, with a jazz-and-blues live-music identity. Grew from food truck to a first brick-and-mortar diner on Colbern Rd. (2016) to a full-service restaurant with stage and bar at 320 SW Blue Pkwy (2023).

Description

Jazzy B’s BBQ — operating as Jazzy B’s Diner — is an independent, Black-owned, family-operated barbecue restaurant in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.¹² Owner Brandon “Jazzy” Simpson builds the menu on hickory-smoked Kansas City barbecue and then blends it outward, describing the approach as fusion: “We take people around the world by taking a basis of smoked meats and putting them in different dishes from different cultures.”³ The result balances KC and Louisiana — traditional smoked brisket, pulled pork, baby-back ribs and burnt ends alongside Andouille sausage, crab cakes, a drunken-shrimp po’ boy, deep-fried crab balls, smoked fried chicken wings and brisket tacos.⁴³

The “jazzy” identity is literal as well as culinary: the restaurant frames itself as continuing the Kansas City jazz tradition, and the current Blue Parkway location features a performance stage and full-service bar hosting live blues and jazz on Fridays, music bingo on Thursdays, and live music on Saturdays.³ The business retains its original mobile food truck for catering and fundraisers in parallel with the sit-down restaurant.¹³

Ownership and history

Jazzy B’s was founded by Brandon “Jazzy” Simpson, a Kansas City, Missouri native and Lee’s Summit resident.¹³ Simpson studied restaurant and food management at Northwest Missouri State University, where he also played on back-to-back Division II national-championship football teams (1998-1999) and ran an early venture selling specialty cheesecakes (“Cheese of Desire”) to students and Maryville locals.¹ After college he played two years of Arena Football, then returned to his hometown of Kansas City and worked as a restaurant manager before launching the Jazzy B’s food truck — approximately 14 years ago by a 2023-era account, placing the food-truck origin around 2010-2012.¹³

Simpson opened the first Jazzy B’s brick-and-mortar diner in 2016 in north Lee’s Summit on Colbern Road (1803 #B, NE Colbern Rd), near Lake Jacomo.¹²⁵ In January 2023 he and his family opened a larger location at 320 SW Blue Parkway in central Lee’s Summit, featuring an open floor plan, full-service bar and a live-music stage.¹³ The business is family-run; Simpson is married with three children.¹

Beyond the restaurant, Simpson is a co-founder of the Kansas City Food Truck Association, has appeared in Food Network and Cooking Channel competitions, has partnered with Mid-Continent Public Library on food-truck education, and mentors entrepreneurs through programs including Kauffman Real World Learning.¹³ Jazzy B’s is listed as a Black-owned business on the EatOkra directory.² The business remains independent and locally owned with no corporate parent.¹³

Links

• Website: https://jazzybsdiner.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazzybsbbq/
• Phone: (816) 272-0654

See also

• henry-perry
• Registry

Sources

Footnotes

1. Jazzy B’s official site — About page. https://jazzybsdiner.com/lee-summit-pine-tree-plaza-jazzy-b-s-about. Confirms owner Brandon “Jazzy” Simpson, NWMSU restaurant/food-management studies and Division II championships (1998-1999), Arena Football, “Cheese of Desire” cheesecake venture, return to hometown Kansas City, food-truck origin, 2016 Colbern Rd. diner, January 2023 Blue Parkway location, family ownership, Kansas City Food Truck Association co-founder, Food Network/Cooking Channel appearances, contact phone/email/Facebook. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

2. EatOkra (Black-owned business directory) — Jazzy B’s Diner. https://www.eatokra.com/businesses/jazzy-b-s-diner. Confirms Black-owned status; lists food truck / BBQ / seafood cuisine, the original 1803 #B NE Colbern Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64086 address, phone, and hours. ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. The Kansas City Star / Yahoo Lifestyle — “‘There’s always another door to open up.’ Jazzy B’s draws crowds with barbecue, jazz.” https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/always-another-door-open-jazzy-100000809.html. Confirms Simpson’s fusion philosophy quote, food-truck origin “~14 years ago,” 2016 Colbern Rd. opening near Lake Jacomo, 2023 relocation to central Lee’s Summit, full-service bar + performance stage, menu items (crab balls, burnt ends, smoked fried chicken wings, brisket tacos), live jazz/blues programming, and community involvement (KC Food Truck Association, Mid-Continent Library, Kauffman Real World Learning). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. Yelp — Jazzy B’s, 320 SW Blue Pkwy, Lee’s Summit, MO. https://www.yelp.com/biz/jazzy-bs-lees-summit. Confirms current address, phone (816) 272-0654, food-truck/BBQ categorization, and operating hours. ↩

5. Feast Magazine — “Jazzy B’s Diner Now Open in Lee’s Summit” (2016). https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/jazzy-b-s-diner-now-open-in-lee-s-summit/article_8ead391a-745a-11e6-a372-83a11186e69b.html. Confirms 2016 opening of the first brick-and-mortar diner in Lee’s Summit and the KC barbecue / Louisiana-Cajun fusion menu positioning. ↩