B-Que — Jeff + Joy Stehney, founder-led modern-era anchor. Started as competition team Slaughterhouse Five (1990); first KC brick-and-mortar in a converted gas station (1996); now three Kansas-side locations + the upcoming Joe’s Next Door expansion (May 2026).
Description
Jeff and Joy Stehney built Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que from a 1990 competition-circuit team into one of KC BBQ’s defining modern-era operations.1 Their journey began with a friend’s invitation to a barbecue contest, the purchase of a smoker, and the formation of a team named Slaughterhouse Five. Competition wins followed — Lenexa Kansas State BBQ Championship, American Royal Open, Invitational. The competition track established the credibility that launched the brick-and-mortar venture.
The defining KC moment came in 1996, when the Stehneys took over the kitchen of a working gas station at 47th and Mission Road in Kansas City, Kansas — the previous tenant had closed the gas station’s fried-chicken counter. The space wasn’t a restaurant; the Stehneys made it one. The combination of competition pedigree, an unmistakable smell of smoke, and a hand-curated KCK-corner location made the original Joe’s into a cultural artifact almost immediately.
The operation expanded to Olathe (2006) and Leawood (2012) locations — all Kansas-side, all maintaining Stehney-family ownership and the competition-DNA approach to barbecue. As of 2026, the Stehneys are launching Joe’s Next Door, a new concept in the former Taco Republic complex directly across Mission Road from the original gas station.
The first restaurant at the Kansas City Current’s CPKC Stadium is Joe’s KC — a cross-cluster civic role that signals the brand’s contemporary stature.2
Ownership and history
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Jeff + Joy Stehney form competition BBQ team “Slaughterhouse Five” |
| 1996 | First KC brick-and-mortar opens — converted gas station kitchen at 47th & Mission Road, Kansas City, KS. Originally named Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue. |
| 2006 | Second location opens at 11950 Strang Line Road, Olathe, KS |
| 2012 | Third location opens at 11723 Roe Avenue, Leawood, KS |
| ~2014 | Restaurant rebranded from Oklahoma Joe’s to Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que |
| 2024 | Joe’s KC becomes first restaurant at KC Current’s new CPKC Stadium |
| 2026-05 | Joe’s Next Door opens in former Taco Republic complex across Mission Road from the original |
What distinguishes Joe’s
Three things:
- Competition pedigree as institutional DNA. Most KC BBQ operations grew out of family + neighborhood traditions; Joe’s grew out of the competitive BBQ circuit. The result is a different kind of smoke + rub precision that’s recognizable in the food.
- Founder-led continuity. Jeff + Joy Stehney remain active in operations; the multi-location growth was Stehney-led, not investor-led; the founders are still the operators.
- Single-family multi-location pattern. Unlike many growth-and-acquisition stories, Joe’s expanded while maintaining founder ownership across all locations.
Sources
Verification
- Level: Verified(Layer 2)
- Independence: 5 independent sources
- High confidence: founding date, founders, three current locations + Joe’s Next Door, KC Current stadium cross-reference
- Outstanding: Joe’s Next Door precise opening date in May 2026 (will land in Map listing once confirmed)
See also
- jeff-and-joy-stehney — founders of Joe’s KC Bar-B-Que
Footnotes
-
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que — official “Our Story” page. https://www.joeskc.com/pages/our-story. Source asserts: Jeff + Joy Stehney founders; 1990 competition team formation; Slaughterhouse Five name; 1996 KC gas station origin; three current locations + Joe’s Next Door forthcoming. ↩
-
KC Current — “Kansas City Current Announces Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que as First Restaurant in New Stadium.” https://www.kansascitycurrent.com/news/kansas-city-current-announces-joes-kansas-city-bar-b-que-as-first-restaurant-in-new-stadium. ↩
See also
- Registry
- Best-BBQ-In-KC-Fall-2026-Pre-Research