The man behind Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes’ monthly specials

The man behind Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes’ monthly specials The man behind Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes’ monthly specials Zachary Ruth Tony Crawford poses next to a cash register in Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes. Jagger Jacobs, Reporter • October 13, 2026 Since childhood, Tony Crawford has always been in the kitchen. Not only does his passion for cooking allow him to express himself, but it’s also an avenue he uses to make people happy. “You got the people that come in hangry,” Crawford said. “And then you give them good food, and then all of a sudden they’re super happy.   “That mixed with the…beautiful chaos of the kitchen, where it’s always going. There’s always something to do, and there’s never really a downtime, so it keeps me going, keeps me on my feet, keeps me on my toes, and it’s something I found super fun.” Crawford is now the supervisor of Wichita State’s Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes, but he didn’t start there. Instead of going through the traditional route of culinary school, Crawford eventually found himself in management positions at Hog Wild Pit Bar-B-Q and the kitchen of the Kansas Star Casino.  “I like to tell people I am not technically a chef. I’m a cook because I just sort of do it from the heart until I feel my ancestors say, ‘That’s good. That’ll be tasty,’” Crawford said. Crawford said he draws back on his prior experiences to deliver satisfaction to the patrons of the Shocker Grill. Crawford began his career at the Shocker Sports Grill in January, and has already been distinguished for his commitment to his job and the student community. “Tony does a great job down here about students. It’s a really fun environment, and he definitely adds a lot to it, bringing great food.” Kelley DeCesaro, the marketing manager for WSU Dining, said. Along with his normal cooking duties, Crawford supervises student workers under him.  “I think they are bright young adults who can bring their own sort of perspective in, and then incorporate how everything else plays and works out,” he said. As the supervisor, however, Crawford isn’t always in the kitchen.  “Some days I got to do truck orders…or if it’s getting towards the end of the month, so I gotta start working on the next month’s stuff, and then, I’ve got day-to-day tasks that I got to do,” Crawford said. Among his responsibilities as the supervisor, one of Crawford’s favorite parts of his job is getting to come up with the monthly pizza and sandwich specials. Some of Crawford’s most recent creations include a margherita pizza, Philly cheesesteak quesadilla and the Black N’ Blue Burger.   “Basically, I look at what I have available…and then just figure something out through my 20-some odd years of cooking, something that could go together,” Crawford said. Though he has much experience under his belt, Crawford said he is always open to new ideas from customers.  “If they have any suggestions on anything, any way that I can improve anything from customer service to maybe something that they think they would like to see on a menu item or something like that, I am all ears,” he said. This also extends to the monthly specials; Crawford said he is open to making a monthly special a permanent item on the menu if people let him know they enjoyed it Crawford said that as long as his customers can consistently get good food, they will return for more because “a happy customer is a repeat customer, and that’s always good for business.”  2 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Share on Reddit Print this Story Leave a Comment About the Contributors Jagger Jacobs, Reporter Jagger Jacobs is a reporter for The Sunflower. He is a sophomore studying journalism and media production and plans to pursue a career in TV news. Jacobs uses he/him pronouns. Zachary Ruth, Multimedia Director Zachary Ruth is the multimedia director for The Sunflower. Previously, Ruth was the photo editor during the 2025-’26 school year and a photographer in 2024-’25. Ruth is studying journalism and media production with a minor in political science, and hopes to pursue a career in photojournalism after graduation.