INSIDE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
24 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2003
First Management Living Communities.
3601 Clinton Pkwy
Zach Straus/Kansan
Kara Morgan, Holton junior, Denise Spidle, Hesston junior, Cathie McLeod, Lenexa junior, Jessica Sands, Ozawkie sophomore and Corinne Spalding, Westwood graduate student, thrust plates of meat to the sky in front of their workplace, Captain RibMan's Meat Market, 811 New Hampshire St. The Meat Market opened on May 28th and is dedicated to giving Lawrence "a quality carnivorous experience," founder Rich Davis said yesterday.
MEAT MARKET: Market competes on Mass CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
space for a sports bar in Lawrence," said Davis, who added that he would not disrupt the original construction on the front of the restaurant.
"We're part of this building," he said. "It's just one of the classic buildings in Lawrence."
The interior holds an abundance of eye candy for customers, who will find anything from kitschy old photos of a woman doing calisthenic exercises, to A Mighty Wind star Fred Willard's golf glove.
Davis and Sprengelmeyer wanted to gear Meat Market's food to a college town that thrives on its pizza, burger and hot wings businesses. The menu is prone to making customers chuckle while their mouths water.
Hamburgers are $3.99, but the more toppings you add, the less it costs. Placed beside this pricing oddity, RibMan appears to be working out the mathematical reason behind a cheeseburger costing less than a hamburger. The superhero's creator admits the brawny character does not have the mightiest brain in the galaxy.
"He has a few mental issues he's trying to work through," Sprengelmeyer said.
The prices are low for someone on a tight budget, unless you order the vegetable of the day, which runs $24.97. Yes, health nuts pay mightily at Meat Market
the desserts stray far from the run-of-the-
mill cheesecake. The owners want customers to indulge themselves in rarer delicacies like Fried Twinkies or the plate-sized, innuendo-seeped chocolate "Bite-Me Bar."
Free State Brewery manager Chuck Magerl does not feel threatened by the novelty of Meat Market despite its relatively close location to his own establishment.
"Anytime there are new restaurants they have an impact," Magerl said. "We've been in business for enough years that we our known for our continuity, service and quality."
The Playmates used in the comic strip actually were the reason Meat Market got its name. In one strip, a group of girls ask Captain RibMan to open up a meat market in town, but the superhero had ribs on the mind when he came through with the request.
"He was a bit off the mark," Davis said. "It still worked out, but Lawrence could have had a really excising dance club."
Davis said customers could expect little surprises now and then like a Playboy Playmate sitting at the next table.
"It really probably wouldn't be unusual before too many months go by that some of our celebrities we've worked with will fly in and spend some time here, too," Davis said.
— Edited by Ehren Meditz