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| Chef's Showcase |
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| Employee Teamwork And Loyalty Make Daddy Jack's A Success
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Kitchen manager: Anthony Mabry
Owner: Jim Thompson
Company name: Daddy Jack's Inc.
Years open: 14
Sister operations: Kona Jack's Fish Market and Sushi Bar, a retail and restaurant operation; Aprés Jack's; Deli Jack's, down the street
Daddy Jack's concept: great food and great fun in a relaxed, friendly environment
Number of seats: 120, 175 in Kona Jack's
Dayparts: Lunch and dinner, after-dinner in Aprés Jack's
Check average: $15 lunch; $30 dinner
Menu features: hand-cut steaks, homemade soups, generous appetizers, signature pastas and premium seafood
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What Makes Daddy Jack's A Unique Working Environment? - Questions & Answers
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What are your responsibilities as kitchen manager?
I train Daddy Jack's kitchen employees and do the scheduling. I contribute to the company's menu development. I make all the specials daily, which means a soup, a meat dish and a fish dish. I do some of the ordering. When I'm not in the kitchen, I work in the front-of-the-house, greeting customers and making sure they're satisfied with the meal. And sometimes I help out with Kona Jack's specials. I will even wash dishes or mop floors, if that's what needs to be done.
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It sounds as you move around quite a bit.
When I see a need, I try to fill it. That's how we all try to work here. For example, my counterpart, the kitchen manager for Kona Jack's is Jeff Brown. We work together a lot, even though we run two separate kitchens. All of the operations are in one large complex. We cross-train our cooks so they can work in either place, share ideas and coordinate production. We help each other out whenever things get behind. It's part of the philosophy of Jim Thompson, the owner of Daddy Jack's.
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What are the principles of that philosophy?
Jim Thompson sets the example. No job is too good for anyone. He believes that the only way to build a successful business is through teamwork.
Think of the customer as a ball that gets handed around from one employee in the restaurant to another. If anyone drops that ball, then you potentially lose a customer.
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Do all employees follow that creed?
It's not easy for some at first, especially if they expect more than they are entitled to. We train people to help each other out, but there is always someone who will say, "That's not my job." Our sort of team approach isn't common everywhere, and it can take some getting used to.
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What are the rewards?
I always feel appreciated. And I work in an environment of respect and loyalty. I would do anything for Jim or my co-workers, and I know they'd do anything for me.
In fact, when people leave here, a lot of times they come back. They go to work in another place and start to miss what they had here, because they say Daddy Jack's just isn't like other restaurants. And Jim welcomes them back with open arms.
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You've been with Daddy Jack's for a long time. Where did you start?
I worked my way up from a dishwasher to a prep cook to a line cook. It was a matter of being available for work, being willing to learn and having people who believed in me. Eventually, I was able to take on the manager's responsibilities. When I got to Daddy Jack's, I realized how much I enjoyed cooking.
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What are some of Daddy Jack's signature dishes, and how are they made?
We do everything from scratch. I start each day with the soup - maybe clam chowder or seafood gumbo or chicken noodle, black bean or broccoli with cheese.
Appetizers are a big deal here. We make several different kinds of nachos, which are based on our homemade chili. We also have potato skins, Buffalo wings, bruschetta and pot stickers. But what makes our starters different from others is the sauces. We like to stay as close to homemade sauces as we can and perfect them to the best of our ability.
Take our pizza - a classic tomato and cheese. But we start it on the flattop, so the bottom gets nice and crisp, and then finish it under the salamander. That's a very popular item.
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What about those steaks and that famous seafood?
We offer rib-eyes, New York strips and filets. All are hand-cut and charbroiled. The ribs are very popular, too, which we slow-roast and serve with our own barbecue sauce.
Some of our best-selling seafood dishes at Daddy Jack's are pastas, like Seafood Neptune, with fresh Alaskan king crab, bay shrimp and bay scallops tossed with sautéed yellow peppers, red onions and tomato cream sauce. Sometimes we put toppings on shells or penne; other times they're over linguine.
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How do you come up with new menu ideas?
Again we rely on teamwork. All of the kitchen managers meet regularly with the restaurant managers and talk about what customers are saying. We bring our own ideas to the table and then build on them.
I like to ask my kitchen crew what they think. It gives them a sense of ownership and makes them feel more involved with their jobs. Plus, they have some great ideas!
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