Interview with Matthew Schuvie, manager
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: I’ve been in food and beverage for 16 years, and I’ve been in management for nine years. My first job was as a prep cook in high school, and then I really got into the culinary side of it. So, I got my culinary arts degree and I started working at Jay’s after a referral from a friend. I was promoted to manager within a year, and I’ve been with Jay’s off and on for seven years now.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: We are an independently owned restaurant, so we consider ourselves to be one of the small guys that can take on the big chains. We have a fantastic owner who has also been through all the ranks in the restaurant industry and really understands the business. We also cut all of our own steaks in house and make a lot of our items from scratch. We cater to every guest’s dietary needs. We do a paleo menu, a gluten-free menu and a brunch specialty menu and so on. We try to offer something that everyone can enjoy.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Guest interaction. I like having the ability to meet new people every day and put out a quality product in our food as well as our guest service. Our repeat clientele is also pretty great. I would say 40 percent of our business is repeat clientele, everyone from 2-year-olds to 70-year-olds. We don’t have a set demographic, and that’s what makes it so interesting.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: We’re always trying to grow. When we started back in 2006, we were one of the small guys, and we keep evolving every year. The challenge is how we will continue to keep putting out something new and fresh every year that people will enjoy. We started a catering company in the last two years that’s really taken off, and so it’s about maintaining that balance of excellence while getting bigger every year.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: We’re really into technological promotions like mobile apps. We started our own mobile app, called Jay’s Grill and Bar, and it can be downloaded on all platforms. Customers can access our menu with it, and we do deals and promotions as well as push text notifications. If you’re within a 5-mile range of the restaurant, it will automatically ping your phone and let you know about specials we have, like a free appetizer or a two-for-one drink special. It will remind you about upcoming events, too.
Profile
Business: Jay’s Grille and Bar
Address: 7820 N. Washington St., Welby
Hours: 10:30a.m.-2 a.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
Founded: 2006
Contact: 303-288-5297,
Employees: 52
