craig k.

Craig K. | Bartender

Pot Pie

Years of Industry Service: 15

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Craig got married, bought a house and had a baby in the space of one year, something that he probably didn't foresee happening when he was "going out nine nights a week" and living the bartender bachelor life. His daughter is now 16-months-old and he said, "We ended up buying a house with the biggest yard I've ever seen." With a big yard comes great responsibility. To become the master of his land, Craig is now back in school to learn horticulture, carting around books the size of bibles from the 1800s (massive) and pouring hundreds of dollars into said books.

In addition to bartending, Craig has his own greeting card company, Coffee Stain Cards, that he started ten years ago. As he stood in line at Hallmark, he realized that their cards weren't for him. So he went home and started writing. With some encouragement from a friend, he was able to turn that into a business. His cards are full of naughty "adult" humor along the lines of someecards.com (which he doesn't read lest it influence his own writing). His first sale was to Middlebirds Gift Shop, formerly on Johnson Drive. They bought all 24 of his cards and he thought he was going to be an instant millionaire. He's not quite there yet, but Coffee Stain cards are sold across the United States. You can buy them on-line or locally at Cellar Rat. Even though Craig has quit drinking and is now a dad, he doesn't think his sense of humor has changed. "But my surroundings have changed and it's changed me."

Craig went on a trip to Africa with his mother and brother a few years ago. After their father had passed away, their mom quietly saved money to take her sons on a trip of a lifetime. She had asked Craig what he thought about Africa, but he said no, it wasn't something he could afford to do. She surprised them both by saying that it was pretty much a done deal. "I could basically swing a camera around (my head) and get a good shot," he said. "When I went there, I thought the animals would be the focus, but it was the landscape." One day, Craig would like to be able to take his daughter to Africa.

  Make KC Better » To really compete with other cities, we need light rail. 

 Every time I travel, other cities have this great transportation systems.