SHAWNEE, Kan. — A locally owned breakfast restaurant in Shawnee is becoming a popular spot for Kansas City Chiefs fans.
After word got out that Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is a regular at Pegah's Family Restaurant off of Johnson Drive, fans are now flocking to the small mom and pop shop in hopes of getting a glimpse of their favorite player.
"The best players come in here," Pegah's owner Moe Sharifi said. "They like our service, our servers, they like the food, they get in here and this is the old-fashioned diner."
Just hours before the Divisional Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pacheco and his teammates stopped by Pegah's to fuel up.
“We told them we would fuel them up for the win,” Sharifi said. “They are nice guys, just excellent.”
Sharifi is unsure how Pacheco found his restaurant, but says the player has developed a friendship with servers, including Teresa Smith, throughout his visits. Smith and Pacheco have met each other’s families and he even signed a jersey for the working mother.
"He's part of the family, so he just comes in and we know what he wants because he loves the French toast and his mom's so nice, he’s brought in the whole family,” Smith said.
January is a slow month for restaurants across Kansas City following a busy holiday season, but thanks to Chiefs Kingdom, sales at this small business have increased by as much as 20%.
“They [the Chiefs] put Pegah's on the map," Sharifi said. "That's very important for us, for me, for the rest of the businesses.”
Sharifi says he’s extended the invite for all Chiefs players and is inviting the boys in red to come out to his restaurant ahead of the AFC Championship game to eat for free.
“They bring big dollars to Kansas City," he said. "I'm happy to see the Chiefs play home this weekend, that's a big economic help to everyone.”
