When you hear about "the man from Hope," chances are pretty good you think of Pres. Bill Clinton. But Johnson County has another man from Hope, Arkansas, and this man nourishes residents every day with great food and the warmth of his caring smile. Meet Hayward Spears Sr., 76, of Leawood. We interviewed him at the original Hayward's Pit Barbecue in Overland Park.

Tell us about your roots.
I was born on a farm outside Hope, in a house with no electricity or plumbing, delivered by a midwife, the fifth of eight children. My dad owned his own farm and we grew cotton, corn, and watermelons. Dad was convinced that everybody should be a farmer. He'd say, "Farming is the best life there is!" But when I graduated from high school in 1954, I told my dad I was headed for Kansas City. He couldn't understand it. I wish he was here today so I could say, "Dad, look at this!"

What were you doing before you became a barbecue guru?
I worked at several jobs, but they were not fulfilling because I always felt that I was meant to be an entrepreneur. My first job was at the Bluebird Cafeteria at 31st and Troost, where I was a dishwasher. Now, 38 1/2 years later, I still wash dishes every once in a while—not because I have to, but because I want to!

I also worked at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Leeds, but that was the last time I worked for someone else. Instead I formed my own building maintenance business, Spears Maintenance Co. We managed all kinds of places, including 432 apartment units in Roeland Park, the offices of the National Photo Co., and the Cherokee South Shopping Center out at 95th and Antioch. After working days at the assembly plant, I would go out to the shopping center at night to do janitorial work.

Meanwhile I was pursuing my real passion, which was barbecue. I'd gotten interested as a kid watching my dad. He would butcher a pig, barbecue the whole pig on an open pit in our back yard, and smoke it in our smoke house. Barbecuing just stayed with me, and I developed a love for it and a real passion. On weekends here in Kansas City, I would barbecue for family and friends and my church, over an open pit I dug in our own back yard. I developed my own techniques.

How did your first restaurant come about?
I got to know the owner of Cherokee South, Larry Wagner. He was an attorney who was the president of the Cherokee South Shopping Center. Larry had eaten some of my barbecue, but when I approached him about leasing some vacant space at the center, I thought he'd think of a thousand reasons not to say yes. But he did it, on a handshake! So the shopping center lost its pizza shop and gained a barbecuer.

Our original space opened in August 1972. It was small, just five stools and four booths, with a capacity of 42 diners. I called it the Cherokee Pit. After about a year, the business took off so I turned the building maintenance business over to my older brother. Later he joined me with the restaurant and we phased out the maintenance business completely.

And you grew and grew.
Yes! We had two expansions at the Cherokee South Shopping Center. With the first expansion, we changed our name to "Hayward's Pit" because people said my name was beginning to be recognized.

I haven't spent enough money on advertising to fill a thimble! I think word-of-mouth advertising works best for restaurants. There's a funny story about that. There were two couples who came to eat at our place almost every evening. Upon leaving, one of the men would say, "Hayward, we're telling all our friends about this place!" But they came in one night and the place was packed; they couldn't get in to eat. So one of the men put his hands around his mouth and hollered to me, "Hayward, we ain't gonna tell anybody else!"

Is restaurant barbecuing any different from the pit in your yard?
Oh, yes. Commercial barbecuing is vastly different! You're working with large quantities of meat and with a complicated operation, coordinating the processes of cooking, rotating meat, setting it aside, and serving many people.

I didn't have any experience at that. I had to learn how to run a restaurant and how to run a business at the same time. A friend told me, "Hayward, the two most important people you will hire will be your accountant and your attorney." He was right; they've been invaluable.

Why do you think Hayward's became so popular so fast?
I think the key was our attention to detail. That was paramount. I did all the little things to put my stamp on everything, from how we prepared the food to how we maintained quality. My philosophy, which I always tell the staff, is "Don't serve anybody anything you wouldn't eat yourself." And the staff have been loyal. I have a dozen employees who've been with me more than 30 years. The supervisor has been here for 35. I have an older brother and younger sister who've both worked here for 36 years.

Was it a rough go?
Oh, this is not for the faint-hearted! The beginning was a really hard time. Probably for the first two and a half years I didn't take one day off. I literally lived here. My wife, Hattie, would tell people, "I'm married to a man with two wives, and unfortunately I'm wife number 2." I remember when a friend said to me, "If you start a restaurant business, you'll need an understanding spouse or you'll need to get a divorce. And you don't need a key to the restaurant's front door, because you'll always be there."

At some point you started a catering service.
Yes, that was the work of Hattie, who, by the way, has always loved to sing. We even built a stage at the restaurant so she could sing, furnishing background music with an organist for more than a decade. Then Hattie took responsibility for booking banquets and for catering. She just loves people. The banquets are especially popular at the holidays. We can seat 230 people here, and the other day we had a party for 175.

This is a beautiful place, with so much glass and an incredible view.
I designed this place and I'm proud of it. People don't realize that we're here on a hill and that we look out over the city. I've been told that the restaurant's location is one of the highest points in the county, next to Johnson County Community College. That's one of the things that attracted me to the spot.

And you've branched out.
Yes, when the Kansas Speedway opened we got a concession there, and we're still running that. We also opened a "Hayward's Express" on Santa Fe off Antioch; it's now a full-service restaurant.

You were one of first and most successful black businessmen in Overland Park.
We moved from Kansas City, Kan., into Johnson County in 1974, and all three of our children went to Shawnee Mission South. We lived in Overland Park until 1986, then moved to Leawood. The Johnson County community has always embraced me and my business and my family.

We've tried to repay that by contributing to the community. My wife and I have been patrons of Friends of the Alvin Ailey Dance Troup since 1987, when it was founded, and we support many Johnson County charities. I'm a former member of the Johnson County Community College Foundation Board, the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce board, the Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Mid America Bank and Trust Co. And I currently serve on the Gazer Region Sister City Committee of Leawood.

Tell us about your family.
Hattie and I have three children: Christopher, Hayward Jr., and Greta. They have seven children among them: Kyle, Keshia, Jermey, Hayward III, Trenton, Peri, and Powers.

Who will continue your business?
Most founders tend to think they'll live forever, but I made the philosophical decision that I would not!

My partner is Nash Minallah, and he'll take over. I had hoped that one of my kids would want the business, and my daughter worked here and loved it for a long time. But then she married a sports attorney and they've moved all over the country.

I've learned that less than one-fourth of all family businesses make it to the second generation in the family. The record for restaurants is even worse. Two-thirds fail in their first year. It's a tough business.

What else do you love to do?
(Laughing) Think about this place! The fact is that I'm a workaholic. I'm happiest when I'm busy, and I think I'll be doing this as long as I'm physically able. I love the camaraderie with the employees and the customers. If that was taken out of my life, I couldn't fill it with anything else. Two or three years ago, I was almost ready to sell the place. But I woke up at 3:00 one morning and thought, What in the world would I do? It scared me to death!
I was a serious runner for 30 years but had to give up running in the late 1990s. I still get up and walk four miles every morning before I come in here. That's my other activity.

I would like to write a book, though.