Alumni Spotlight

Catch up with Kristin Stueber (’03), owner of The Gruff restaurant in Covington, KY. 

Full Name: Kristin Steuber

Name at Graduation: Kristin Lehman

Graduation Year: 2003

Major: Journalism w/ minor in Marketing (PR/Advertising track)

Why did you decide to come to NKU?

I grew up in Northern Kentucky and always knew it was a great school, especially for marketing and media/communication. I was not sure after high school graduation what my path would be, so I went away to the University of Louisville. As I understood my strengths more, I knew the switch to NKU was necessary. Plus, it was nice to be “home”.

What is your favorite NKU memory?

I really enjoyed Dr. Levin’s business marketing classes. There was a lot of opportunity for interactive business skills that could be applied in real-life situations.  

How did NKU prepare you for what you do now?

NKU was a fantastic school for any career focus related to public communications. As I went through high school and college, I realized it was a strength of mine and I originally wanted to be an editor. Turns out, communication and marketing skills are applicable to many careers, especially in the culinary/entrepreneurship world. 

How did you come to own The Gruff?

My husband and I were living in Covington at the time, and had a friend tell us about the open space. He connected us with the owner of the building and our vision lined up with theirs, and we began to work on a lease to build out the space. My husband graduated from culinary school, so with his chef skills and my communication/marketing skills, we made a great team. 

What is your favorite part about owning your own business?

My favorite part of being a business owner is the people. I love the opportunity to meet new people daily, as well as build into employees and learn to work with a variety of personalities. I love that we have created a space that is accessible to most people, where they can celebrate their special events (birthdays, graduations, friendships, etc).  

What are some of the challenges?

The people are also one of the biggest challenges. As a small business, it can be tough to balance trying to please everyone, but knowing you cannot be everything to everyone. It is important to see each employee as an individual and manage them based on their strengths. Sometimes it can be extra challenging for them to understand, and many times employees can let you down, which is stressful and disappointing. 

What advice do you have for current NKU students – especially those who might want to start their own business?

Remember that it’s all about the people. Even though you work for yourself, you will be working for other people (your customers) no matter what your service or product is. It’s important to listen to them, but keep consistent with your brand, mission and values. Interpersonal (mainly in-person communication) skills are hard to teach, but to this day, are still one of the main reasons for our success.

For those who haven’t yet been to The Gruff, why should they visit?

The Gruff has a great brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, general trivia every Wednesday evening, and is a great place to stop before/after Reds and Bengals games.

Why did you decide to come to NKU?

I grew up in Northern Kentucky and always knew it was a great school, especially for marketing and media/communication. I was not sure after high school graduation what my path would be, so I went away to the University of Louisville. As I understood my strengths more, I knew the switch to NKU was necessary. Plus, it was nice to be “home”.

What is your favorite NKU memory?

I really enjoyed Dr. Levin’s business marketing classes. There was a lot of opportunity for interactive business skills that could be applied in real-life situations.  

How did NKU prepare you for what you do now?

NKU was a fantastic school for any career focus related to public communications. As I went through high school and college, I realized it was a strength of mine and I originally wanted to be an editor. Turns out, communication and marketing skills are applicable to many careers, especially in the culinary/entrepreneurship world. 

How did you come to own The Gruff?

My husband and I were living in Covington at the time, and had a friend tell us about the open space. He connected us with the owner of the building and our vision lined up with theirs, and we began to work on a lease to build out the space. My husband graduated from culinary school, so with his chef skills and my communication/marketing skills, we made a great team. 

What is your favorite part about owning your own business?

My favorite part of being a business owner is the people. I love the opportunity to meet new people daily, as well as build into employees and learn to work with a variety of personalities. I love that we have created a space that is accessible to most people, where they can celebrate their special events (birthdays, graduations, friendships, etc).  

What are some of the challenges?

The people are also one of the biggest challenges. As a small business, it can be tough to balance trying to please everyone, but knowing you cannot be everything to everyone. It is important to see each employee as an individual and manage them based on their strengths. Sometimes it can be extra challenging for them to understand, and many times employees can let you down, which is stressful and disappointing. 

What advice do you have for current NKU students – especially those who might want to start their own business?

Remember that it’s all about the people. Even though you work for yourself, you will be working for other people (your customers) no matter what your service or product is. It’s important to listen to them, but keep consistent with your brand, mission and values. Interpersonal (mainly in-person communication) skills are hard to teach, but to this day, are still one of the main reasons for our success.

For those who haven’t yet been to The Gruff, why should they visit?

The Gruff has a great brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, general trivia every Wednesday evening, and is a great place to stop before/after Reds and Bengals games.