By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-County Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com

Andy Kooken at Kook’s Meats in Greensburg is kind of a quiet guy, working hard behind the scenes to serve his local compatriots in Greensburg and Kiowa County, Kansas. On Valentine’s Day 2025, Kooken and two helpers cooked and served 139 steak meals to customers, many of them going as secret valentine dinners to law enforcement, medical and emergency management workers and their spouses.

“We have these steak diners every Thursday, we have them all the time,” Kooken said. “On Valentine’s Day we just shed a little light on what we do and what other’s are doing every day in our communities. We are thankful for our customers.”

Anyone in the community was invited to sign up to pay for free valentine dinners for county agencies by calling in orders before Valentine’s Day this year. Those who received the Secret Valentine Dinners included people from the Kiowa County Sheriff Office and spouses, Greensburg Police Department and spouses, Kiowa County Emergency Management and spouses, EMT and spouses, doctors and spouses, nurses and spouses, KHP and spouses, and Kiowa County Firefighters.

“We were very busy,” Kooken said. “It was a great night.”

To extend the Secret Valentine’s Day Special Dinners, Kooken also served an additional pre-ordered 64 steak meals on Thursday, February 13, bringing the total steaks served to 203.

“I really want to thank our extra help that chipped in. We couldn’t have done it without our staff and our customers,” Kooken said.

Kook’s Meat, located at 115 W. Kansas Avenue in Greensburg, is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. They serve meal specials of tacos on Tuesdays, burgers on Wednesday, steaks on Thursday, and BBQ on Friday. They are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.