How Finer Than a Frog Hair Bar and Grill became a Kansas town's heart

DENISON — When a small town in Kansas has a population of about 150 people, there's no denying it takes the helping hands of everyone to keep the wheels turning.

In Denison, a big part of that helping hand comes from one of its local businesses — Finer than a Frog Hair Bar and Grill, 113 Central Ave. The establishment opened its doors in November 2020 and is owned by Samantha Correll.

Correll said the bar and grill was well-received by the community and such surrounding towns as Mayetta, Hoyt and more.

"We focus a lot on homemade, fresh but still sticking with your local bar menu like cheeseburgers. We usually do a home-cooked special most days," Correll told The Capital-Journal.

Becoming a hub for the community

Correll said she lived in the Denison community all of her life and she can remember the 113 Central Ave. building being a hub of socializing. Now, as owner of a business in the building, the bar and grill sees a lot more customers than what she imagined.

"We've had to adapt our kitchen, grow where we can," she said. "We've added more tables. We have an awesome staff. Originally, we thought we could do it with kind of a skeleton crew, just a few people and it proved to be far more than that.

"Local farmers, contractors in the area working. We see families multiple times a week. We focus on really trying to make food affordable, so that people can come and enjoy, socialize and spend time together here."

Samantha Correll opened the doors to Finer Than a Frog Hair Bar and Grill in Denison back in 2020. Since then, her business has served her small community and surrounding areas and offers delivery options when the weather gets rough.

Mayor Bruce Sweany said Finer Than a Frog Hair is a good place to have in the community.

"The school left quite a long time ago, and when you lose your school, you lose a place where people can gather, so other than the two churches, it's really the only meeting place in town so it's valuable for that reason," Sweany said.

Lending a helping hand as a small business

Over the years, the business has developed a snowstorm tradition: Delivering homemade bread bowls and soups at no extra charge. The practice began after the first winter storm following the shop’s opening and has continued as a way to support the community while keeping operations moving during severe weather.

During late January’s snowstorm, Correll said the business served up to 15 families. While she and a co-worker remained in the kitchen preparing orders, deliveries were handled by their husbands and children, who used 4x4 trucks to navigate the snowy roads.

Pool tables, neon lights and seating options make Finer Than a Frog Hair a cozy place to sit down for a drink or meal in Denison.

The adults drove, and the children ran the meals to customers’ doors.

"I thought that was wonderful, especially out to the surrounding communities like Valley Falls, Mayetta and Holton." said Betsy Jenson, who has been the city clerk since December.

Sweaney said he often orders a meal and picks it up himself. He said he especially enjoys Finer Than a Frog Hair’s chicken‑fried steak.

"I think they're doing really well," Sweany said. "They draw from quite a ways around, like their Taco Tuesdays, the streets pretty much full of cars in the evenings and they do pool tournaments and stuff like that. People need to have some place local that they can go to other than Holton or Valley Falls, so it's really nice to have something here especially for some of the older people who don't get around quite so well."

Samantha Correll, owner of Finer Than a Frog Hair Bar and Grill, is known for keeping service going during severe weather since she opened the business in 2020.

What can you find at Finer than a Frog?

Correll said Finer than a Frog offers daily deals like $2 tacos on Tuesdays, Fish Fridays and more. She said she tries to keep the specials as items customers will enjoy.

Jenson said having the bar and grill next door is convenient. The Denison City Hall building is located next door at 111 Central Ave.

Along with tacos and fish, the business serves a variety of burgers and sandwiches, including Philly cheesesteaks, pork tenderloins and Reubens. The menu also features such appetizers as fried okra and French fries, along with salads, wraps and a selection of beverages.

"We're more of an older community, so they don't have to go anywhere besides just downtown here," said Jenson. Jenson said for her family, she does a lot of ordering and takes home orders from Finer than a Frog.

"And pricing is amazing with them, because I have a family of five so eating anywhere else would be a little more expensive," she said.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How Finer than a Frog Hair Bar and Grill became a Kansas town's heart