BBQ available on Newton’s west side

Growing up with chefs as parents, Jeffery Love has the love of food and cooking embedded into who he is.

He has been a certified chef since he was 19.

Love, who is now 48, has worked in Wichita for most of his career. Before opening up the barbecue restaurant in Newton, Love worked in Hesston from 2000 to 2003.

He left the position in Hesston to be more accessible to his daughter, Le’Toyia, who is a 4-year-old with special needs.

The name of the restaurant that recently opened in Newton — Le’J’s Bar-B-Q — is using Love’s first initial and the first couple of his daughter’s name. The 20-seat barbecue restaurant is located at 1607 W. First St., between Fastenal and Curves.

“My priorities are God, Le’Toyia and my business,” he said, “in that order and my life reflects that.”

Le’J’s is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

“We’re closed on Sundays because we all go to church,” he said. “And Monday is my time with Le’Toyia.”

During the week, when he is working, by the time the cleanup work is finished, he can usually make it home in time to put his daughter to bed.

Love has about 30 years experience in cooking and managing the kitchen.

He said he knew what he was doing when he began looking at the location on West First Street four years ago.

“I chose this location because I couldn’t understand why all the buildings looked so empty, and I decided putting a restaurant over here would be a good thing.”

Love and his partner, Tami Budd, have the only restaurant over on the west side of town.

All of the food served at Le’J’s is made from scratch, and Love has a secret recipes for his marinade on the meat served.

“I put the meat to marinade over night and am back at the business no later than 4 a.m. to begin cooking it,” he said. “Barbecue is meant to be cooked and ate in the same day. It has to be fresh.”

While Love knows the food part of the business, the more technical side is where Budd comes in with her experience.

She is working on getting a Web site up and running and setting up ways for customers to place food orders through the Web site and by fax.

Love said they also will do customer smoking and catering.

Love and Budd, have hopes the business will be known as the best barbecue in Harvey County.

But their plans don’t stop there.

Long-term goals, Love said, include two more concepts to be added to Newton’s food service industry. One being an upscale quaint open-air 60-seat restaurant near Sand Creek Golf Course. The other is to renovate the existing building Le’J’s is in to be able to serve breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

“I think Newton can support these ideas and am looking forward to bringing them to light,” he said.