Photos by Jamie Plain
After over 2 decades of exponential success in Henderson, Mr. B’s Pizza and Wings has expanded to Owensboro. Located at 3030 Highland Drive in the former Maloney’s, the location marks the 5th for owner Shannon Coughlin and his family.
Coughlin purchased the Henderson location in 2002, steadily growing into a household name in the tri-state area. The family restaurant and sports bar specializes in fresh pizza and wings, but also offers a massive assortment of other menu items.
Other items include pasta, sandwiches, salad, and a full bar stocked with craft and domestic beers.
“Everything is fresh and never frozen,” Coughlin said. “We only have 1 walk-in freezer at most locations, primarily for ice cream. We really take pride in the quality of food we serve.”
When the community caught wind that the tristate landmark was considering a presence in Owensboro, the news spread like wildfire. Coughlin had contemplated opening a restaurant in Owensboro for several years and is ecstatic that he finally did.
“This has been a great move, and the community has been very supportive,” he said. “We bought the building in July of 2022 and knew there was some excitement. We’re just a small-town restaurant and excited to be a part of the community.”
That mindset is on full display with the restaurant’s marketing plan, which primarily consists of sponsoring youth sports teams and giving back to the community.
After 9 years of success in Henderson, Coughlin expanded to Bowling Green, followed by Murray, Evansville, and then Owensboro.
“Looking back, that was crazy to open in Bowling Green, 120 miles from our base,” he said. “No one knew who we were except Henderson County students going to WKU for school, who we leaned on to staff the restaurant. We continued to focus on our food quality and consistently gained recognition.”
Coughlin’s son is an avid golfer, and encouraged him to purchase a cheap simulator for their garage a few years ago. They were opening the Evansville location then and had some empty adjacent space. That led to an epiphany.
“We immediately knew this was something the region needed, so we created Club 18 at the Evansville location and invested in some high-end simulators,” Coughlin said. “It worked out well in Evansville, so we thought we needed to take this to Owensboro. There’s nothing like it.”
The Owensboro location boasts four golf simulator bays and regularly hosts leagues and events. Coughlin enjoys participating in the leagues, using it as an opportunity to interact with customers in a less formal capacity.
The space also features nearly 40 high-definition televisions and a covered patio. Additionally, the restaurant offers carry-out and delivery options through Doordash.
Mister B’s currently employs over 100 people, many of whom have remained on staff since the restaurant opened.
When Coughlin embarked on this journey 22 years ago, he said he and his family encountered their fair share of struggles. He said they added a bar but continued to emphasize the family atmosphere and that they were a restaurant first and foremost.
Now, they have 5 restaurants across western Kentucky and Evansville, with no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. OL
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