K.I.T Solutions: Javier & Pedro Concepcio
Avoiding conflict is a common behavior. It makes sense, of course. Conflict and arguments around the best path forward aren’t fun. No one wants to get into a disagreement. Or do they?
BROTHERLY LOVE
According to Pedro Concepcion, co-founder of K.I.T. Solutions, some of the best ideas and biggest wins that his company has seen have been the direct result of lively debates between himself and his business partner. Some would call them arguments, some might describe them as spats, but for Pedro and Javier Concepcion, the best term would be “brotherly love.”
Pedro and Javier’s ventures into the world of restauranteering and entrepreneurism began about 13 years ago in the Windy City.
“I went to the Art Institute of Chicago for Culinary Art,” said Pedro, highlighting the foundation of his background in fine foods. “I worked in high-end restaurants there to get experience and then moved to Lawrence when I was turning 21. The owners of the Burger Stand brought me in because they were just about
to launch the restaurant. They brought me in to work on the menu and sauces for the Burger Stand.”
Around the time Pedro was making a name for himself at the Burger Stand, his brother Javier was honing his own culinary skills at a Lawrence restaurant. Pedro eventually became part-owner of the Burger Stand before deciding to branch out and work on menus for additional Topeka restaurants, including The Pennant and Norsemen Brewing Company.
“That’s when I realized that developing menus and concepts in Topeka was something that was needed because there wasn’t really a ‘food atmosphere’ here. There are some gems here for breakfast, but nothing really different or unique, so when Cody Foster came to me about wanting to make The Pennant, I was really excited.”
Pedro jumped at the opportunity to work with The Pennant team on developing a menu and recipes. Then, not long after, Javier joined forces with him as he continued to provide his expertise and services to local eateries. This building momentum finally reached an inflection point, culminating in the inception of K.I.T. Solutions.
“Through the transition that COVID brought, a lot of restaurants were losing sales and their formulas weren’t working, so we were hired to look at logistics and food costs, and to help make sure they were making the right choices,” Pedro recalls.
A POWERHOUSE TEAM
The uncertainty of starting a new business venture was minimized by the fact that he had his brother alongside him in the new venture.
“Working with my brother is a really good thing,” Pedro said. “Some restaurants really want you to tell them what they want to hear, but sometimes things aren’t right—whether they’re undercharging, or management isn’t up to par, or the food’s not that good. No one wants to hear that, but my brother pushes me to be honest with them about those things.”
The push that his brother offers is greatly appreciated and very valuable, Pedro says, but sometimes that also means having to endure pushback. That pushback, however, is what makes the duo such a powerhouse team.
“My brother has been a great asset,” Pedro said. “He’s really stubborn, just like I am, but we’re both stubborn about different things. For instance, he’s reallyfocused on how beautiful a dish looks, where I’m focused on how profitable it is. I want to cut this, cut that and so on, so he helps me out of that.”
This difference in approach is particularly noticeable in the division of labor and the two distinct but equally important roles each brother takes on. Javier focuses on new ideas and new dishes—the innovation of the business—while Pedro is keen on the logistics, operations and profitability side—the preservation of the business. This, Pedro says, allows them to attack a problem from two different angles.
“At Norsemen Brewing Company, my brother made a decision for them to make beet chips without my consultation,” Pedro recalled. “I said ‘These are great, and they’re going to sell, but we didn’t think through all the logistics. The labor of it alone is harder to execute. It’s possible, but it’s something we needed to think through.’ And he said ‘No, no, it will be fine.’
“Well, the beet chips sold out the first night. So, even though he made that call on his own, it ended up being good because the customers loved it. If it had been just me, I would have said ‘no, we can’t do it,’ so
I think debating and not always seeing eye-to-eye is valuable.”
When it comes to running a business successfully with a sibling, there are two things Pedro believes a person must do if they are to create a sustainable and successful operation.
“You need to strip egos and remember that you’re not working for yourselves, you’re working for the business,” he said. “And then you need to be able to have honest conversations and not assume what the other person is thinking and feeling because assuming is the worst thing you can do.”
