J’s finds recipe for success as Three Star Mall anchor
|
J’s Restaurant began in a small storefront at Three Star Mall in a spot that has since been enlarged and is currently occupied by Cato. After a two-year move to a spot that is now occupied by Goody’s, J’s Restaurant has been in its current location since 1994.
Through the years, Petit has seen good times and bad. He has seen stores come and go. And all the while his business has gotten stronger.
‘This mall was still very new when I got here,’ said Petit, who has been in the restaurant business for 40 years. ‘But we stayed busy from the start and we’ve seen an increase in business from year to year. Now I love my location. It’s in a prominent location on the corner and right in the center of the mall.’
While JCPenney, Goody’s, Kroger, and now Roses are dubbed the mall anchors, J’s Restaurant could make a solid argument for being one of the busiest stores at the mall. Customers are often waiting for the gates to open at 10:30 a.m., and heavy lunch and dinner crowds are a daily occurrence.
Petit attributes his success to his menu variety and his prices. And to celebrate his 25th anniversary, he is offering his ribeye steak dinner, complete with baked potato and salad bar, for the price of $6.25.
Petit says his most popular menu item is chicken, mainly because he sells it so many ways ‘ fried, grilled, mesquite, and lemon pepper. Catfish and steaks are also popular menu items, along with a complete line of sandwiches and breakfast items.
One common topic of conversation is the J’s baked potato, which can come close to the size of a softball and is always slathered in butter and/ or sour cream.
‘I special order them straight from Idaho,’ said Petit. ‘And you can really tell a difference.’
Petit started the business with his wife, Judy, who has since retired. But he still has family members close by. One son, Junior, has been a full-time employee since 1993, and another son, Jordan, has been working there while he is in college. Jordan, however, is about to move to Australia in the middle of the month.
‘He’s going there to branch out the business,’ joked Junior, who later added Jordan is moving to be with his true love.
J’s now has 17 employees and does a mean business thanks to Jean Claude’s recipes.
‘It takes a while to learn the spices and the seasoning,’ said Jean Claude, who graduated in 1968 from a French cooking school. ‘You can’t decide one day to open up a restaurant and expect to be successful.’
The Standard is pleased to recognize J’s Restaurant for 25 memorable years. The phone number is 473-5125.