How ‘a Perfectionist on a Budget’ Decorated Her Buzzy New Restaurant
‘A Perfectionist on a Budget’ Decorated Her Buzzy New Restaurant
Photo: Courtesy of Jessica Jones
A couple decades ago, Jessica Jones had a vision for a restaurant that was fun, bright and colorful while still being low-budget.
“I was doing this research with my husband and I told him, ‘I don’t want an expensive restaurant because I want a restaurant that is just really fun and affordable,” Jones says. “I want something I can just walk into and have great food and a great environment.”
Jones is a perfect example of what’s possible with just a budget. She spent nearly four of those years working for free in restaurants that catered to the under-30 crowd. She worked as a server, sous chef, and manager at a handful of high-end restaurants, including a Michelin-starred French pâtisserie.
She also lived on food stamps for several years while working hard to pay her bills. Now, she’s launching her own concept in the former Food 4 Less space at 1513 Ninth St. as part of an effort to make food access more affordable for food-insecure residents.
“I’m really trying to show that it is absolutely possible to create a successful restaurant from a non-traditional income,” Jones says.
Jones is a bit of a perfectionist. She’s proud of her ability to create unique, delicious dishes that are affordable for the Seattle food-insecure.
“Our menus are very simple because, like, our meals are really simple,” she says. “My concept is about bringing down the cost and making it accessible for people who are in food insecurity. We have a lot of meat in it which we can get