The new owners, Landon and Stephanie Campbell, are just waiting on the liquor license, Rader said. The Campbells did not buy the vacant building next door to Pappy’s.
Landon Campbell said he and his wife plan on keeping Pappy’s Place largely the same. Later on, they might consider a food truck that would allow them to sell some of the bar’s menu in other parts of Springfield.
In 2019, Wayne and Susan Rader purchased Pappy’s Place BBQ at an auction. The couple had been invested in the neighborhood, owning a bed-and breakfast nearby, and saw the historic restaurant as an extension of the work they were already doing. After Wayne Rader’s death in January 2023, Susan Rader continued to run it. She announced plans to sell the restaurant in June 2023.
The Pappy’s site has been a restaurant since 1926 and has the oldest continuous liquor license in Springfield, dating back to 1933. The restaurant on the site went through other names over the years including Beezley’s Cafe, Main Eat Shop, Leatha’s Cafe and Doc’s Cafe. In 1970, it was purchased by Paul and Dorthy Ankrom — nicknamed “Pappy” and “Mammy” — who opened Pappy’s Place BBQ.