KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The2023 NFL Draft brought much more to Kansas City businesses than sales, with increased exposure, life lessons and challenges that pushed them to become better vendors.
KSHB 41 talked to two food vendors before the draft as they were preparing to work the event.
On Friday, we checked back on how things went and whether the event met expectations.
Jayaun Smith, owner & co-founder of Sauced
"The most thing that I'm excited about is definitely just meeting all new people, being able to finally push our business to a different level,” Jayaun Smith of "Sauced" told KSHB back in April.
Five months later, he's singing the event's praises.
"I’m just smiling internally, it really did help us a lot," Smith said.
The business cooked up over $40,000 in sales, according to Smith.
With the money, he's pursuing goals outside of burgers and fries.
"We’ve always had goals of just creating this food group, this restaurant food group and launching these different concepts," Smith said.
But it also taught him to take some time away from the grill, not just for his own mental health, but for the sake of his business.
"I'm taking care of myself more than that so by the time next year, you know, I can know my triggers and know how to walk away and know how to breathe," Smith said.
Keshia Clark, owner & CEO of KC's Wing Bar
"I'm excited but anxious at the same time because I'm not sure exactly what to expect," Keshia Clark of "KC's Wing Bar" told KSHB 41 the week of the draft.
But now, that anxiety is gone.
"It really helped get us through the rest of our food truck season because we were just getting started," Clark said.
For the owner and CEO, the exposure at the NFL Draft is what meant the most to her food truck.
"We made, I would say, what someone's annual revenue could be in about three days, so about over $25,000," Clark said.
She found the hurdles in their way turned out to be the reassurance she needed as a business owner.
"Things that would’ve and could’ve made you give up, it did not make, it didn’t stop us," Clark said.
It could be three years before soccer's World Cup is able to match the size and reach of the NFL Draft, but the three days of the draft was enough to change the game for both Smith and Clark.
"I would do it all over again if I had to," Smith said.
