Melody McCray Miller

Owner, Miller's Bar-B-Que, Wichita

Melody McCray-Miller grew up in an entrepreneurial household. "I was part of my father and mother's entrepreneurial spirit. Dad had several businesses. I can remember McCray's Photography as a child. This business featured a dark room off the side of the house. Also, dad and mom opened up McCray's Records and Flower Shop."

In terms of her own entrepreneurial activities, Melody notes that:

… my late husband Larry Miller and I started the barbecue business at property I still own at 4601 E. 13th Street … We were there for 13 years. We knew we had a best-seller on our hands. We also knew that not only the barbecue business, but the restaurant business is difficult … you're there from almost sunup to past sundown.
Melody McCray-Miller

 Consequently, "we began to plan on exiting the restaurant business and focus on food development."

With assistance from Kansas State University's food development division, Melody and Larry's baked beans product subsequently became sold regionally in Kroger supermarkets. Melody is especially proud of the fact that she and Kroger have had a business relationship spanning 24 years. This is significant because "typically a new product has a life of between one and five years because of how challenging competition can be in the food industry and in supermarkets."