MINERS + MONROE

Clothing is an experience.

Guys like cool clothes, too. 

That was Kim Froman’s message to her husband Davey when trying to convince him to open a men’s boutique in Downtown Pittsburg. 

They had just moved to the area from Kansas City, Davey had a background in fashion and retail, and Kim was certain Pittsburg needed what he could offer.

“Kim kept saying that there are guys in Pittsburg who want to dress well,” Davey said. “I wasn’t sure it would work. Luckily, Kim is much smarter than I am.”

Miners + Monroe opened four years ago and has changed the game for men’s apparel and accessories. Not only does the shop provide a wide array of clothing options, it’s also exposed Pittsburg to brands and products that have never been here before.

“You have to push a little,” Davey said. “A lot of the brands we carry are from my own personal preference and from my past experience in retail.”

After working for The Buckle while an accounting student at Missouri State, Davey became a buyer for Buckle’s offices in Kansas City. It was there that he got a good sense for what men like to wear and how he could get it.

“We put a heavy focus on quality goods that will last a while,” he said. “These items will be around, they won’t go out of style. It’s about providing a quality product at an accessible price point.

“Clothing is an experience,” he said. “I still remember the first time I put on a nice Pendleton shirt. You feel it. That’s a really nice shirt. You start to get it. You know why it costs a little more. You also know you’re not going to have to replace it anytime soon.”

Experiences. That’s really what Miners + Monroe is all about. From nice clothes and cool shoes to premier cocktail glasses and grooming products, Miners is devoted to helping its customers look good and feel good. 

And sometimes part of feeling good is having fun things to go do in your new jeans and flannel shirt.

Ya know, like go to a concert in the alley.

“Kim and I are obsessed with live music,” Davey said. “So when we bought our building, we knew we had some space and started wondering what we could do back there.”

What they did was put up some lights, brought in a food truck, and created the Miner’s Alley Concert Series, which quickly became one of the hottest tickets in town. Popular bands from all across the country stopped by to play a set - groups such as Shaker Hymns, Gabe Lee & King Margo, The Mighty Pines and Pony Bradshaw.

Davey said the concert series is just the start of a broader vision he has for bringing quality live music to Pittsburg. The town’s location, set in the middle of many larger cities, makes it a premier spot to attract popular entertainers.

“I really think we can have people converge here,” Davey said. “It doesn’t always have to be us going somewhere else for a cool show. We can do stuff here that serves KC, Tulsa, Joplin, Northwest Arkansas, Springfield. 

“It used to be if you wanted to see a good show, you had to go to a place like KC. Well, no. I think we can do that here. And it will be an even better experience because you won’t have to deal with the traffic and getting a hotel and massively huge crowds.”

And when bands do come to town to play a show at Miner’s Alley, they’ll soon be able to enjoy cool accommodations above the shop. Davey and the fam are currently working to renovate the upstairs apartment into a sweet short-term rental. 

“We want it to have the same vibe as the shop, that rustic, industrial look,” he said. 

It’s all part of his never-ending passion for helping the Pittsburg community grow and providing quality experiences.

“If you’re not pushing the envelope a little bit, you’re falling behind,” he said. 

Miners + Monroe is located at 214 S. Broadway in Downtown Pittsburg and online at https://www.minersandmonroe.com/