Jumpin’J’s CLOSING TODAY

Thank you Je and Celestia for giving us a place to feel welcome for as long as you did. As creative and energetic as yall are, I know there will be other ventures in store down the road!

Oh, what a loss for our hood! As Daniel said, this was a long-time favorite of ours. I start to drool when I think about some of the yummy food I’ve had there.

This is terrible. It is such a great place with good food and great coffee. I really enjoyed the vibe of the place. I’m am really sorry to see them go.

Very sad. Their appetizer pizzas were awesome.

Thanks Je! We love ya.

I think William said it well. I couldn’t afford to eat there, had the occasional cup of coffee and that’s it. I’ve set foot in it maybe twice in the past two years.

I’ve heard that Je has had a job running the 2300 Club for awhile, so this closing doesn’t surprise me.

Maybe someone with some business accumen will step in and make it work – I like William’s comment on nothing over $6.

I disagree with william and anon. The food was well above average, but the published reviews were mixed. I think if the whims of the reviewers were better, the People would have come. The food was remarkable.

As was previously mentioned above, the restaurantr business is a bloodbath. Something like only 40% (or less) of new restaurants “make it” longer than two years.

the postings on this topic reveal the true nature of the recently (re)developed neighborhood north of broad.

jumpin js was and is a positive for the neighborhood

now it is available to all of the critics and experts that likely do not have the balls to open a lemonade stand. the neighborhood should be thanking jj, and maybe kissing jjs’ ass for the positive contribution

East Side….exactly my point. We disagree on very little here. The food at J’s was great–the area was not ready to support the offerings of the business. As you can see from the postings here, many people have commented that they could not afford to eat there. This speaks to location, location, location and giving your target audience what they want. A business such as J’s will not draw from a large surrounding area. It will depend, primarily, on the residents in very close proximity to make it work. Anyone in the area that has been to J’s would agree that the customer traffic was light, at best. My point is that if the menu offerings were more aligned to the financial resources of the neighborhood…it would have been more successful. There are, of course, exceptions such as Mama Zu’s in Oregon Hill. However, it has a much longer track record than J’s and only 1 block into the “hood”.

Some advice to the startups in the “Hill”. Keep the offering very simple and remain focussed on who is coming through the door (and walking down the street)… Those are your customers. For anything upscale, NOB, you are taking a huge financial risk. Right now, there are few offerings SOB. Until the core is highly developed, there is no room for upscale offerings NOB. For, the record, this “critic and expert” has been in a very successful small business for many years. Pipe dreams won’t pay the bills.

Lower cost menu items is probably not the course that J’s wanted to follow but…condsidering the location, would have been the wiser road to travel. With the current housing situation, Church Hill’s pace of development has been set back a few years. Although more successful, I would be worried about the concept of J’s thriving SOB in today’s market.

Everything Je did was awesome. It’s unfortunate that dinner was not a financial success, if that is what led them to close.

Best of luck to Je, it was a great run.

I am always sorry to see any small business fail, and especially one in an area that is trying so hard to revive itself.

I did hear they were serving dinner, but to be honest, that’s no place for a single woman to be at night! I rarely went in the daytime for the same reason. I agree with William…I would be more comfortable with more the centrally located areas of Broad or Cary.

My little wifey and I were conducting our own analysis of the situation last night (over dinner at a PACKED Mexican joint out on Williamsburg Road).

She allowed that it probably cost J’s over $10,000 for the liquor license they needed in order to provide those fancy beers and wines for the dinner crowd that never showed.

If the license cost anything *near* that, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize how that one move doomed them.

I don’t understand why anyone would try to change a business model from one where the margins are, say, 1000%, like selling cups of coffee, to one with the very less cash flow friendly margins of a high end gourmet dinner establishment, especially one located in a transitional neighborhood like Church Hill.

Sadly, when one takes into consideration the outsized plans of the people who owned J’s (outdoor dining, fancy dinners, the ill-fated “Church Hill Market” idea), it becomes pretty clear that from a business standpoint they totally misread the neighborhood and let Quixotic ambition run roughshod over the humility to simply “be.”

I’ve misssed the old J’s for a long time…

I waited with such anticipation while they were getting ready to open, and it is sad to now see them go.
I did go there for dinner, and while the price points were a little high for a Tuesday when I just didn’t feel like cooking, they weren’t crazy. (Although I did miss buying funky purses and what not in there after the switch!)
The pricing didn’t keep me away, the neighborhood didn’t keep me away, and even the fact that I’m a woman didn’t keep me away! (But I must admit, good food won’t keep me away from anywhere. Keep on cooking Sondra’s Soul Food!!)
As members of the community, it is up to us to patronize the establishments in our community, if we want them and our community, to flourish and grow.
J, the whole family, even my extended out-of-town family, is sorry to see you go. You will truly be missed!

I am very sad to see a Church Hill business go especially when we are on the cusp of having Que Pasa finally open. Two restaurants in that part of Church Hill/Union Hill suggests a restaurant district.

Nonetheless, the last time I went to J’s on a Sunday for breakfast. I was disappointed. I really wanted their old breakfast burrito. The woman behind the counter scowled at me when I asked about it and peer pressured me into ordering something from the pricier brunch menu. I ordered eggs benedict, but with smoked salmon and it was marginal. Ice cold salmon, luke warm hollandaise and as expensive as Millie’s where it would have been much better.

I was disappointed, because what J’s was … was great. And while I wish Buzzy’s would improve their food, at least they remain true to their concept.

Wow – what comments. Its good to see there are those that love/loved JJ’s. I am one of them – a former employee for the first two years. The place was magical and such a meeting point for everyone. Je is a pioneer for going in and bettering a corner that may soon return to a boarded building. She helped raise the value of so many homes – many advertising when for sale that they were ‘just down the street from jumpin je’s’. Who knows what it will take to move that area forward, but God love Je for trying. I lived in Church Hill for 6 years and as far as restaurants: the hill cafe gets old, accapella – you must be a smoker to breathe in there – Je’s was a breath of fresh air and the people who worked there became a family. I am very sorry to see it go. It will be missed in my opinion. Thanks Je for stepping out on a limb and going for it!

I used to frequent J’s every day, but my schedule changed and I wasn’t able to go as often and this news is crushing. I grew up in Church Hill and left for awhile but moved back when I got married. I really felt like the area was coming alive when J’s opened. I’m VERY sad to see J’s go. Miss you J!

hey william, are you such a success that you have so much time to be a pompous asswipe? why dont you take your pontiificating bullshit back to sob if you are all skeered of the nob vibe. by the way, what is your small business? can you really make a living being a knowitall or is that just your hobby?

Hey “buddy”…so sorry if relative success offends you. Maybe you need to peel back the layers and do some self-analysis re: your aversion to listening to an educated overview of the situation at hand. Successful business people get there through alot of hard knocks and discovering ways to overcome. Sounds to me like you’ve never ventured down the path…. I’m baffled that so many people remain in denial and can’t stand to hear the truth (even if it is for their own benefit). So be it. I don’t recall ever stating that I was “skeered” of the NOB vibe”. What I did allude to is that currently, NOB does not have mass appeal to fine diners. (Something very necessary for an upscale restaurant in a transitional neighborhood). Sorry if you can’t take that but then how many upscale restaurants do you see NOB? SOB, for that matter. Hmmmm. I wonder why that is the case smarta–?! The simple economics of it just don’t make sense at this time…in this area. As for “pontificating”… I do believe that I made a statement on this site that the concept of fine dining at J’s would not work when it was announced last April. Hmmm. Before any restaurant is a hit with outsiders of the area, it has to be a hit with the locals. The majority of the locals need dinner-menu items in the $6-10. range. Anything more would severely limit customer traffic–you can figure out the rest. Are you so offended by the demographics of NOB that you can’t stand to hear the truth? Most wise business folks will play to the demographics of the area. And…that being said, as a wise businessman, I prefer not to publicly associate my personal views to my business. As far as my business goes, everyone’s dollar is just as green–I’d be glad to take it. Isn’t the internet wonderful? Everyone gets to have an opinion yet you have no idea from who it flows. Oh, and for the record, I happen to own a few properties NOB. I love the area but it is what it is. Thanks.

hey william, havig owned and operated several businesses in this area over the last 20 yrs i have developed some analytical people skills. these skills lead me to ascertain that your smug disection of jes demise is simply another example of those that can do and those who cant represent themselves as self proclaimed wise businesmen.lets not forget that a woman lost her dream and her livelihood.she didnt do it so you could enlighten us all with your 20/20 hindsight. i mean hindsight since you obviously talk out of your ass.

Unfortunately the one time I tried to go, we were turned away because they had just closed. (It was 2 or 3 PM on a Saturday??). I figured they could have let us buy the two coffees we wanted (there were at least 15 or so customers still inside). I’d always wanted to try Jumpin’ J’s, but was very disappointed. (I live in the west end, unfortunately). I can’t say I surprised, but I hope the owners have future success. ****And one final note, spell check is our friend.

I know I will anger people with this post. The fact is Jumping J’s was not very good across the board. For six months, I ate lunch twice a week there.
The coffee was weak and the service was slow. I tipped well and never received any recognition past a blank “Hi”. I surveyed a large number of other folks and they said the same. Buzzy’s (I am really not a fan of their coffee either) owners always ask how I am and thank me for my business. Paul at Millies always calls out my name and hands me a drink w/out asking. Poes pub has phenominal service, and Hill cafe really tries. This was just a case of capitalism at work. The weak do not survive.The area is ready for a restaurant. J’s just really did not know what it wanted to be.
Okay ,let the arrows fly!

GET A LIFE! ALL OF YOU!

OK…keep fooling yourselves. Time will prove that I am 100% correct on the viability of quality business ventures N-O-B. I’ll be so bold as to venture out 5 years from now…. “Tolerated” –go to hell…who’s asking for your acceptance?
Plebe!

I have heard that she is now the manager of the 2300 Club, so she’s got a regular ‘real’ job now (and has had for at least a month, if not more)(I’m hedging this, given that she might be either the cook or the manager) and I know for a fact that her daughter is working for her there. I don’t know what other employees she had, but I do wish them the best and hope they found other jobs. This is a poor season to throw employees out of work.

Other than that, my comments will remain – I couldn’t begin to afford her prices for dinner, and the brunch prices got too high for me too. Coffee was fine, I’m okay with paying the better part of five bucks for a cup, but not twelve bucks for a snack to go along with it. The one great thing she did was to clean up Jefferson Avenue by opening the shop.

Also post number 44, I agree with you – just about everything you’ve said.

Again, I think in the long run, the fact that she established the shop on Jefferson Avenue, along with all the other developments in Union Hill, has been a really serious positive development for that area. Maybe someone will follow and open something else in the same shop.

OK… there is some humor here. Can somebody please tell me what it was in my prior posts on this subject that makes others so angry? Can someone outline the elements that I mentioned that are “out of touch with the ‘neighborhood'”?

For John M on 12/1, who says my perception is “out of date”…I’m sitting 8 blocks away from J’s as I type. I live here. And my experience here is not the same as someone named “John”. Live as me, and then we’ll talk.

For William- the truth hurts doesn’t it! You lent a lot of free advice here and I thought they were good observations. Pointy, maybe. But still on the mark.

I also agree with the critiques of Buzzy’s food. One thing I do regret seeing go are the lovely pastries and sandwiches J’s offered.

It takes balls and a deep purse to go out on a limb in a developing area, and I did enjoy J’s for what it was. They tried.

Better luck to the next entrant.

Katherine states “live as me and then we’ll talk. Then states knowingly “It takes balls and a deep purse…”

Does anyone else see the humor in this.

Does someone named Katherine understand what “takes balls”? Walk in my tighty whiteys and then we’ll talk.

way too funny.

Sorry, I couldn’t read all 60 comments, but I think I got the gist.

It’s all too easy to second guess the business decisions of others. Some people run a business by their MBA, and others run it based on instinct, passion and desire. Even the best of businesses can fail, but it is impossible to ignore the hope it brought to the neighborhood. A friend of mine had his first cup of cappucino there. How many great conversations took place in those cramped quarters. How many people moved or invested in the neighborhood based on this optimistic venture.

I agree, Church Hill needs more bedrooms. It needs better security. It needs a little bit of everything, but Church Hill itself is a bit of a miracle. It wasn’t so long ago that an investment around 25th and Broad took a big leap of faith and a little bit of foolishness.

I’m so proud of what Je Depew tried to accomplish. There is no shame in failure, only in not trying.

My friend Mel is nearly in tears missing Je’s crab macaroni and cheese, and Mel is one of those chicks who wears black t-shirts and doesn’t cry. I’ve lived in the City of Richmond for over ten years and have been eating here even longer. My husband and I eat brunch out every weekend and he declared Je’s vegetable frittata one of the best meals in his five years here. My Sunday brunches at Je’s were some of the tastiest and the service was some of the warmest. One Sunday, two girlfriends and I ate brunch inside (we drooled over the food, the coffee and the pillows)and then ordered a bottle of wine to share outside. I’d been waiting ten years for a really GOOD restaurant with outside seating. When I thought the experience could not be improved, an alarmingly charming blond man with a corkscrew and a bucket of ice escorted us to an umbrella table. At each visit to Je’s, I enjoyed seeing the diverse crowd who stood in line for brunch on Sunday, and I enjoyed NOT seeing a single table hussled out the door the moment they swallowed the last bite on their plate, as happens every weekend with Je’s less hospitable competition.
One thing I found curious was that advertising seemed to be largely word-of-mouth. So many people I told about Je’s hadn’t heard about it from another source and perhaps I would not have been lucky enough to know about it if I hadn’t met Je at a party. My time is divided mostly between working on my love handles and working in community development so the closing of Je’s crushes me twofold.