Banking on KC – Zach and Cecil Keyes of J'adore Home & Garden
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Kelly Scanlon:
Welcome to Banking on KC. I'm your host, Kelly Scanlon. Thank you for joining us. With us on this episode is Cecil and Zach Keyes, the new owners of J'adore Home and Garden in Brookside. Welcome.
Cecil Keyes:
Thank you. Thank you. We are so excited to be here.
Zach Keyes:
Hello. Yeah, thank you for having us.
Kelly Scanlon:
Congratulations. I mean, you've been owners now for what, about five months, maybe?
Zach Keyes:
Five months, and we're now experts.
Cecil Keyes:
Yes, we know all the things.
Kelly Scanlon:
So tell me about what inspired you both to transition from your previous careers to do something like this, to acquire a home and garden store like J'adore.
Zach Keyes:
I think Cecil and I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. We've been together almost nine years. On our very first date, we each talked about wanting to own businesses one day. Cecil wanted to own a real estate company, and at that point, I wanted to own a public relations firm. So we've always kind of been through our relationship trying to find a business or an idea that we could go into together. And so we've been customers of the store for probably the past seven years now and Cecil's mom is the one who introduced us to it. And so we got to know the previous owners, Alan and Michael, over the years and everything, but we've been in Chicago the past four years, so whenever we'd come back home, I would pack an extra suitcase to go to the store and fill it up.
Cecil Keyes:
And it was always overweight.
Zach Keyes:
Mm-hmm. And it would be always overweight and it would drive Cecil crazy, but we had pretty things to take home. So it was probably last year, I mean, in March is really when it started that we were visiting and Alan put the bug in our ear. "Michael and I, we've done this for almost 25 years at this point, we're looking to sell. Maybe you guys should think about it. We think you'd be great for it." And we kind of just, at that point, laughed it off a little bit. 'Cause like, how do you buy a store, first of all?
So then fast forward, and it was May and Cecil was back home for a funeral and he had popped into the store and Alan was like, "No, really, you guys should think about doing it." So it really kind of spurred that question. We're like, "We have been asked twice now, this is a store that we love." And I've always had a penchant for decorating and design. That's really what I've wanted to do with my life. And I kind of realized that after college, and I've loved the store and I mean, it's an established business, which was also very enticing to us. So Cecil was really the one that pushed it along. And he just said, "If we can make this happen, would you want to do it?" And the answer was, "Yes."
Cecil Keyes:
Yeah, and it really just took on a life of its own. And there were so many moments as we went through the process of looking at all of the financials and getting a loan, which we did through Country Club, finding attorneys, it really all just came together. And for me, I knew eventually we did want to come back home. We want to raise a family here and things like that. So it made sense and it's a profitable business. It is a pillar in the community. It's been there for 25 years.
Kelly Scanlon:
Great brand.
Cecil Keyes:
Exactly. And so it took a little of that pressure off. It really has just been an amazing journey so far.
Kelly Scanlon:
So you mentioned real estate, Cecil, and Zach, you mentioned public relations. How did those backgrounds help you or did you just have to start from scratch learning things? I know you said you've learned it all now in five months, but how did those two backgrounds help you as you purchased the store? Because I mean, that in itself is, getting all of that paperwork, like you said, in order the financing in order. There's a lot of things to consider when you're purchasing a store. So how did that aid you then? And then how is it continuing to play a role in how you operate the store?
Cecil Keyes:
I think for me, I was able to look at it analytically. I look at a lot of contracts, leases, things like that every day so I understood the structure of some of the things I was looking at, and I deal with the financials on the real estate side. This is a different side of it, looking at a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement. I kind of had a little experience with that before. I also think we leaned a lot on our support system. We have a really, really strong support system, my parents, Zach's family, so leaned a lot on the people who do have more knowledge.
Zach Keyes:
And the previous owners, Alan and Michael, we were all on the same page through the entire process too. They really made us informed of the business. They told us about the good, the bad and the ugly or any kind of potential situations and so they just really kind of made it black and white for us. And through the whole process, I mean, we worked through it altogether and it was very seamless. Coming from PR and marketing, I think of things more from a creative side of things. And with my clients that I would work with, they're obviously thinking about their bottom line and how can they achieve higher sales or get more traffic or higher revenue. And so we would always approach that from a creative mindset of how can we get more people into the store or what kind of pop-up or what kind of collaboration or partnership can we do? And I think as we've come into the business, that's been really helpful now too, to have these creative ideas from my previous life in PR to apply them to the store.
Cecil Keyes:
And I think for me as well, I think right now in my job, I look and I make decisions what's best for the company. So I think it's made it easier with the store so I can look at the numbers or look at what we're ordering and look where we're at and say, "Okay, what's the best decision and how do we move forward?"
Kelly Scanlon:
Let's talk about some lessons learned perhaps. You talked really about the ease of the acquisition, but if we had listeners who are considering purchasing a business, doesn't necessarily have to be a retail store, what is the most important lesson you learned in that experience, do you think?
Cecil Keyes:
I would say, it's advice my mom gave us when we started this, she said, "I would just take each step and you keep taking steps until you hit a hurdle that you can't get over, or you get to the point where you're like, okay, we're going to do this." And I think that was the best advice because it was so overwhelming, especially in the timeframe we had to get this done in, which was really eight months. Really just take each step and again, lean on your support system. I will say, we got lucky. We had an amazing, amazing banker, Sandy Kessinger, she was very, very supportive. Great attorneys, and again, family that really just kind of support us and friends through it because we uprooted our lives in Chicago to move back ina period of eight months and finalize the closure of the business.
Kelly Scanlon:
So you've talked about J'adore having this 25 year legacy, and it's a beloved institution, a beloved go-to place in Brookside. How do you plan to build on that legacy as the new owners and plus incorporate your own vision though?
Zach Keyes:
There's a lot of pressure with it too. J'adore is a special place, and I mean, it is an institution for a lot of people. 25 years is not a short amount of time, especially in retail. So I think of the legacy that Alan and Michael built, and a lot of that really comes down to customer service. They have totally put a focus on making sure every customer feels welcomed when they come into that store. They make sure that they know their names, they make sure that they know what's going on in their life. They make sure that they leave feeling like they left with something, whether or not it's an actual product, but they left with a good experience too. And that's something that we really plan to build on. So for us, I mean, it's special to be able to continue to build those customer relationships and continue that customer service that people have come to know and love with J'adore.
But when we think about the legacy, we talked about earlier, Cecil grew up in Kansas City and his friend's parents used to shop at J'adore. And so we need to get their children into the store too. And we do get some of those people, but we want to introduce it to a new generation. And there's a lot of people that I feel like in our demographic, that aren't used to going to a corner store or a local store that get that level of customer service. I think there's a lot of value in showing people you can get better pricing, you can get better products, you can get better quality of items when you come in and do that with us, and you can build that relationship.
And I think one thing that Alan and Michael did really well too was, they were honest with people. They weren't always after the sale. They could have sold the couch or they could have sold the armoire or something like that, but they'd be honest with the customer and say, "This doesn't work for your space," or "I don't think this would work right. If you really want it, go ahead. But here's our personal opinion." And he has said that's paid off for them tenfold because it builds that honesty and that trustworthy relationship with them. And that's something that I think we could introduce to younger people too, who maybe haven't really shopped in a format where you do have that relationship aspect.
Kelly Scanlon:
And another thing is, we have the repeat customers that J'adore has. You get to know what their purchases are, their styles and so forth and so, you might point out something that's over in the corner of the stores that they had walked by or something and say, "We just got this in and based on what you've done before with us, this might fit nicely in your home."
Zach Keyes:
Exactly. Yeah. And that's been the fun part of being at the store is, we have met so many amazing customers, and I've now kind of started to peg some of their styles too. People tend to be creatures of habit, and that reflects into their design choices too. So it is really exciting to get to know them and say, "Hey, I think this would be the perfect spot in your home." We have a lot of ladies who love Blue and White, or chinoiserie, and, "You know, we've got this new jar and it would fit your home." So it's exciting to be able to do that.
Cecil Keyes:
It is funny too, to see the repeat customers come in because they come and they do a couple laps and then they leave, and as they're leaving, they're like, "I scoped out some things," and when they come back in, I always see them, they come up with a handful of things and they went home and thought on it. So it's fun.
Kelly Scanlon:
Yeah. Yeah. It just becomes like an extended family, I'm sure, in many ways. Prior to your acquisition, former owners had acquired the coffee shop, the space, and expanded. You've had some customers come in since then and think that you've expanded again, but you haven't, at least your space you haven't. But why are they thinking that?
Cecil Keyes:
It's funny, because the design center used to be on our lower level against the back wall, and so we essentially moved that to the coffee shop and made it an intentional design center. And it's crazy what happens when you really just flip a room around, you do some new paint, but we've heard that a lot of people walk in and they're just like, "Wow, that is such a refreshing and amazing space," that people can go in and think about, "Okay, what do I want to do with my projects? What do I need in my home? Custom furniture, wallpaper, rugs." Yeah, it does make it seem like we did expand, but we didn't. We just flipped a room around.
Zach Keyes:
I mean, it has made the store feel bigger since we moved it from that lower level. And now with the design center where it's located, it's been funny, there's been customers that have shopped there for years that have said, "Oh, I never really knew that you guys did that. I never knew that you really did wallpaper, fabric, furniture, rugs, that sort of thing to this level." And it feels very intentional to have a design center and it just kind of sets a precedent that we do those services, and we are a full interior store.
Kelly Scanlon:
When you're in Brookside, people there are very engaged with the local shops there, and then you track from around the city as well. But community engagement is really for your survival, as a restaurant there, as a retailer there, you have to be engaged with that community. How do you plan to involve the community in your new business?
Zach Keyes:
We've kind of started a little bit already. So we've done a spring Wednesday night series, is what we've called it. So we kicked it off in March with our spring open house and for the past couple of months, we have stayed open until 7:00 PM on Wednesdays. And it's been a time to allow people who might not be able to make it to the store during a weekday to come in for just a couple extra hours when they might not be able to fit it into their schedule otherwise. And we've invited in local vendors on those nights too. So we've had a lovely lady, her name is Milena, she owns Milena's Custom Cookies, and she runs that out of her home. So she's done pop-up shops on those nights. There is a fabulous guy, his name is Craig, and he works with MoPie, best pies in town. He comes and does pop-ups. And then Mike's Wine and Liquor, they're in the neighborhood already, so they come and do wine tastings.
On those Wednesday nights, it's just getting extra people in there, extra buzz, supporting local. I mean, Kansas City is such a local-based town, and they really support local. So I mean, for us to want people to support local, we also need to be doing that. And so that's why we've kind of opened up our spaces to more of those food vendors or little small artisans that might not really have their own brick and mortar, but for them just get in front of new people.
Kelly Scanlon:
Yeah, to help showcase them.
Cecil Keyes:
In addition, we're working with the businesses around us as well to stay open late. So next us is Shop Girls, and so she also is staying open late on Wednesdays, and then Heirloom every Wednesday also stays open late. So we kind of created this little-
Zach Keyes:
East Brickside late night, 'cause we're all just in that same little strip there. But I mean, it's nice. It helps all of us when we're open together doing it.
Cecil Keyes:
And we do have more fun plans for the future. For example, the store every year used to do a fabulous holiday open house. We're going to bring that back this year, which we're very, very excited for.
Kelly Scanlon:
Well, that will be something to look forward to. Sustainability and local sourcing are growing trends. Are there any plans to integrate those practices into J'adore?
Zach Keyes:
In terms of local sourcing, we work with a couple local companies now. Everyone's familiar with Pickwick Candles. We work with another lady, she's Cottage Bloom cards, and she makes these beautiful cards out of her home. And so we sell those in the store. But I think one thing, as we continue to put our stamp on the store, is we want to incorporate as many local artisans and vendors into the store as possible. So we're on the hunt. I mean, we're looking for local artists that might want to display their art, or we're looking for somebody who creates lovely pottery or any product that might be a good fit that fits the aesthetic of the store, we're open and we want to support that too, because at the end of day, it just helps everybody a little bit.
Kelly Scanlon:
Do you have any other upcoming events or promotions that your customers might be looking forward to that you can tell us about right now?
Zach Keyes:
So in the future, what we're looking to do is, summer is a slower month, people are in and out of town and everything. So we're moving our Wednesday night series to a once a month format where it's going to be a little bit bigger, we'll have more people coming in. It'll be more of a spectacle and event. And so we've kind of worked with the local HOAs and gotten on their newsletters and everything to invite the community in. So we'll be doing that three nights throughout the summer.
And then in July, one thing that we'll look forward to is, we do our semi-annual sale at that point. And so the whole store will be 20% off. And then in August, for that Wednesday night event, that will actually be our fall open house. It's kind of crazy to be thinking about that at this point, but fall is around the corner in retail, so we'll be kicking things off then. And then, as Cecil mentioned previously, we're going to bring back the J'adore holiday open house. Alan and Michael did that for years. And I mean, it was quite the spectacle. They had a live singer, they had vendors come in, they had food, they had drinks. And so we're going to bring that back and do it in a big way. And I think it's fun, it's something to do during the holiday season.
Kelly Scanlon:
So you've been at this for five months now. What's been the most surprising aspect of taking over an established a business? There has to have been some surprises, at least one.
Cecil Keyes:
It is all consuming, owning your own business, which is not a bad thing, but realizing that, that it is all consuming and that you're always thinking about it, may be good or may be bad, but it is very rewarding as well. And I think the other thing that I found surprising is, I know how much people love this store, but actually being in it and seeing it as the owner really is, it just kind of touches you, how special it is to people. So that's been surprising in a good way.
Zach Keyes:
Yeah. I think one thing, and it sounds kind of silly to say it out loud is, we both come from backgrounds where we've had bosses that reassure us or give us feedback or tell us what we could improve on or what we're doing well. And being the owners and being your own boss, there's no one there to do that for you anymore. And so you really have to trust your gut a lot, and you have to take a lot of faith in yourself too, which is a positive thing but it's a scary thing at the same time too. And when I look back on it, it's like, "How could I not have realized that?" But coming into it, I've seen that in so many ways too. It's with people management, working with the employees that we have, we haven't been bosses to this regard. We've managed people before, but we've never been the final head honcho, I guess.
And that's created, there's different dynamics with that and people management and learning how they like to work and how you can fluctuate with that, especially coming in as new owners with an established business and working with the customers in that regard too. People are used to certain things and certain expectations, and we really haven't quite changed a lot with the business, but there's been changes too, and people have commented on them or said, this has changed, or "You guys used to do this. Why are you not doing that anymore?" And we've had to explain, at this point in time, it doesn't make sense or it's something that the business was getting away from. So we kind of made the final move to do that.
Kelly Scanlon:
Right.
Zach Keyes:
You have to be good at giving yourself constructive criticism when you're not going to get it from anywhere else. And that takes, you have to give yourself a holistic view, I guess, to do that.
Kelly Scanlon:
So, looking five years into the future, you're five months at this, so let's turn that into years. Looking five years into the future, where do you see J'adore Home and Garden at that point, and what are some of the long-term goals that you're hoping to achieve?
Cecil Keyes:
Yeah, I would say, things I would love to see, obviously a more online digital presence, doing some e-commerce, which we're very excited about in the next several years. I would love to expand the actual store, the square footage of it, if the building we're in allows it. But those are just a couple of things I am wanting in the next five years.
Zach Keyes:
In addition to a hundred franchises nationwide, I would like to expand some of the service offerings at the store. With the move of the design center, it has, like I mentioned previously, created a tone that we can do everything top to bottom in your home, and the store was already doing that, but it helps give that intention. So five years from now, I would like to have a couple store designers. I would like to have people that can go into homes and bring J'adore to your home, top to bottom. And we don't have to talk couches and fabrics and wallpaper, but we could have interior decorators, people who come in and can help accessorize with what you have and add some new items from the store. Because I think the biggest thing that I'd loved about the store is it's approachable to all. And I want that to be felt in everything that we do, especially when it comes to service offerings.
And I think about it, the sky's the limit. We could do holiday decorating, we can help set up Christmas trees for you, we can do your front foyer. I'd love to do all that sort of stuff, but I think there's a lot of growth potential for us on the service side. And there's people that ask for it quite a bit, so it's definitely there and the potential's there. So in five years, I think I'd like to see it fully fleshed out, and I think it'd be a great way for us to grow. And also, it's kind of marketing in its own regard when you go into people's homes and they talk about it with their own friends too, and they get to see it. So it's a little bit of word of mouth working too.
Kelly Scanlon:
As we wrap up here, you've said you're very young entrepreneurs, but you seem like you've learned a lot in a very short time. So for others who may be listening that either want to acquire a business or perhaps, build a business from the ground up, what advice would you give them? What are some of the most important things they need to know?
Cecil Keyes:
Yeah, I would say the big thing that I've learned is trust yourself, trust your instinct. Also, there's so many skills 'cause I was worried coming into this. I've never owned a business. I've never worked in retail at this extent, but there's so many skills that I've learned on my other jobs that I can transfer to this and that I'm using on the daily. And then the other big thing for me is, make sure you have a good support system. We've been extremely lucky, we lean on people, make sure you have a good support system, talk to people, ask questions, and absorb as much information as you can as you go into the process of acquiring or buying a business. So you make sure you feel like you've made the best choice with all the information you have.
Kelly Scanlon:
I know you're a numbers guy, Cecil, and you mentioned something earlier, Zach, that made me think that you like to make decisions from your gut. And so I was going to say, so when it comes down to it and you're not really agreeing on something, which one triumphs?
Cecil Keyes:
It's usually Zach.
Kelly Scanlon:
Really?
Cecil Keyes:
Zach usually triumphs. I'm a little more analytical, but it's good in a sense but you also need to be a little spontaneous. Not too much. Make sure you think obviously, your decisions but-
Kelly Scanlon:
Have a plan B in case the decision is not the right one.
Cecil Keyes:
Exactly.
Zach Keyes:
And a plan C.
Cecil Keyes:
Exactly. And I also will just add, I mean, I have kept my day job and I'm still trying to progress in my own career. So Zach really is running the store day to day. He does everything, and he's been amazing at it. So he usually takes the cake when it comes to the decisions.
Zach Keyes:
It is a creative business. We're in the business of decorating. There's no wrong or right answer in a lot of instances. I mean, when it comes to business decisions, yes, and that's where I do lean on Cecil's, like, "Does this actually make sense financially? Does this make sense long term?" And that's where I appreciate your analytical side of things, but when it comes to the creative side, I mean, there's limitless possibilities with it. And to me, at this point, it's all new and it's exciting. So I do have all these ideas, and there's a lot of ways that we can implement them or we can change them too 'cause we change the store around constantly or we're ordering new things, and if it doesn't work, you order something different 'cause that will eventually sell. And it's a continuous influx and flow of new things.
Kelly Scanlon:
Right. And I suppose too, that the more experience you get under your belt, those gut decisions, although they may still feel like gut decisions, you're actually making them from an experience base that maybe you're not giving enough credit to.
Zach Keyes:
Totally. And I would say to this, one thing I've had to tell myself personally, and I think I would tell anybody else that's looking to own a business is, you do have to get over yourself a little bit too. I mean, you have ideas and you have all this, and I do make gut decisions, but I also try to seek out as much knowledge and information from the resources around us. I mean, the previous owners, the people in our family that have been business owners, our friends, just from what an outside perspective might look like too. I mean, you are not going to be in any sort of trouble for asking for opinions. You might not like what you hear, but you're not going to hurt for hearing it.
Cecil Keyes:
And be okay with people telling you that that's not a good decision, or the thing you're thinking is not right, which, like Zach said, get over yourself. It is a little, it's tough sometimes to hear that, oh well, that's probably not the best way to go about it when you're really excited about something. But just be willing and be open throughout the whole process.
Kelly Scanlon:
Well, it's been wonderful having you on the show today, hearing about your vision for J'adore and what it took you to get there to where you are right now with it. So thank you so much for sharing that. We appreciate it.
Cecil Keyes:
Thank you.
Zach Keyes:
Thank you, Kelly. We appreciate it too.
Joe Close:
This is Joe Close, president of Country Club Bank. Thank you to Zach and Cecil Keyes for being our guests on this episode of Banking on KC. As Zach and Cecil shared their journey from customers to owners of J'adore Home and Garden in Brookside, they emphasized strong support systems, collaborative efforts, and community engagement, especially with local vendors and artisans as key to their smooth transition. At Country Club Bank, we are committed to supporting business owners like Cecil and Zach who encapsulate the entrepreneurial spirit that propels Kansas City forward and enriches our neighborhood communities. Thanks for tuning in this week. We're banking on you Kansas City. Country Club Bank, member FDIC.