Before Josh Eans was consulting for restaurants, he owned them. Although he and his family now live in Valencia, Spain, four years ago he and his wife, Abbey-Jo, were operating Columbus Park’s Happy Gillis (now Dear Donna) and Columbus Park Ramen next door. Before that, he was a chef at The American Restaurant, the longtime “jewel of Crown Center.”
Those years spent in Kansas City sweating over stoves, balancing the books and taking inventory inspired Eans’ new book, Freedom Was the Whole Point, debuting this month on Amazon. Part memoir and part practical guide, it draws on the lessons he’s learned as both a restaurateur and consultant, with a particular focus on one of the industry’s biggest challenges: burnout, a struggle Eans knows all too well himself.
He says the pandemic unexpectedly “forced us off the hamster wheel.” As business ground to a halt, Eans and his wife closed Columbus Park Ramen, focusing their limited time and resources on keeping Happy Gillis afloat. When life and the restaurant industry finally settled into a new normal, they realized they didn’t want to climb back on.
“It was an intense time, but it gave us some time to slow down, which you never get as a small restaurant owner,” Eans says. “We realized we didn’t want to go back to the way we were doing things. We also wanted something different for our kids.”
From Spain, Eans took his part-time consulting business, What a Treat Consulting, full time. He’s offered his services to many restaurants, including Kansas City spots like Boulevard Beer Hall & Rec Deck, The Campground, Tom’s Town Distillery, Sail Away Wine Bar, The Filling Station and more, helping them improve operations and uncover hidden profit leaks. After analyzing profit-and-loss statements for other people’s restaurants, he’s convinced that burnout is closely connected to food costs specifically.
“By getting your costs under control and setting up systems, it allows you to step back and not have to be there for every single decision,” Eans says. “The financial pressure is a big part of [burnout].”
Eans knows the restaurant business has always been demanding, but he believes today’s operators are facing a new set of challenges. For example, fewer young people are taking restaurant jobs, and younger diners are drinking less alcohol, weakening one of the industry’s most dependable sources of revenue.
“The restaurants are now getting squeezed from all sides,” he says. “At the end of the day, there’s not just as much left as there used to be, so that’s where I say, ‘All right, let’s control the parts that we can control and tighten up the operation.'”
For Eans, that starts with the numbers. He helps operators spot unnecessary labor costs, food waste and other inefficiencies that chip away at profits. Sure, the goal is healthier balance sheets, but ultimately it’s about helping owners reclaim balance, maybe even some freedom—hence his book’s title. After all, Eans believes success isn’t measured only by what’s on the bottom line.
“I think so many times, if you own a restaurant, your life gets swallowed up by it,” he says. “So to me the main goal is to get your life back.”
Josh Eans Perfect Day in KC
Ride to the River: I’d definitely ride the streetcar because it’s expanded so much since I left. Tom Gerend, who helped lead the project, is a friend of mine, so I’d take it all the way to Berkley Riverfront Park and check out CPKC Stadium.
Back to the Block: I’d wander around my old neighborhood, Columbus Park, then have lunch at Dear Donna. Since we used to own Happy Gillis in that space, it would feel like a nice full-circle moment.
Tortilla Mission: I’d have to stop by Yoli Tortilleria and grab some tortillas for Abbey-Jo. It’s hard to find good Mexican food in Spain, so fresh, warm tortillas are one of the things we miss the most.
Dim Sum Nostalgia: For our family, ABC Cafe in Overland Park was always one of our favorite spots. We’d order dim sum, XO turnip cakes and spicy beef tendon.
Fresh Ink: One of our regulars at Happy Gillis was Scott Shickman, who has done all of my and my wife’s tattoos. I’d definitely sneak into his spot Done-Rite Tattoos for another one while I was back in town.
