Joey (restaurant)

Joey Restaurant Group (stylized as JOEY) is a Western Canadian premium casual restaurant chain based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Joey chain of restaurants was founded by Jeff Fuller.[3] Joey restaurants are a part of a chain of family-owned restaurants, expanding throughout North America. The restaurant focuses on Asian, American, Mediterranean and other global dishes.[4] The company operates 27 full-service restaurants in Canada and the United States. All Joey restaurants feature a bar area and serve alcoholic beverages.

This article is about Joey Restaurant. For Joey's Seafood Restaurants, see Joey's Seafood Restaurants.
"JOEY" redirects here. For other uses, see joey (disambiguation).
Joey Tomato’s (Canada) Inc.
TypePrivate[1]
IndustryRestaurant
GenrePremium Casual
Founded1992 (1992) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
FounderJeff Fuller
Headquarters2400-1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada
Number of locations
27 (2020)
Areas served
United States, Canada
Key people
Jeff Fuller (Founder), Chris Mills (Executive Chef)
Productsburgers, steaks, chicken, sushi, salads, dessert
Revenue$280.7 million per year[2]
n/a
Number of employees
1358[2]
Websitehttp://joeyrestaurants.com/

History

Founding and early years

The first Joey Restaurant was opened in 1992 in Calgary, Alberta. The chain now operates over thirty restaurants.[5][6]

The company's founding President and CEO is Jeff Fuller, son of restaurateur Leroy "Bus" Fuller (1928-2019),[7] who founded the Earls restaurant chain with Jeff's brother Stan Fuller.[8] Leroy Fuller was an experienced restaurateur who built the family restaurant empire stemming from one of the original A&W Restaurant franchises in Canada, an American chain of fast-food restaurants known for draft root beers, floats and burgers.[9]

Joey was originally conceived as a pasta house called "Joey Tomato's", which opened in Calgary in 1992 as a casual pasta and pizza joint. As more menu items were added, eight years later, the name was changed to "Joey Tomato's Mediterranean Grill," before being shortened in 2005 to simply "Joey."[9] Executive Chef, Chris Mills, began adding Asian cuisine to the menu as a way to rebrand the image.[9] The company also owns the American restaurant Cucina, Cucina.

In 2016, Al Jessa was promoted to company President,[10] marking another link between the Earls chain and Joey. Al Jessa's twin brother Mo Jessa is the current president of Earls.[11]

Earls restaurant in Winnipeg, Manitoba

As of March 2020, Al Jessa is President Emeritus and Layne Krienke, former COO, was promoted to president.

Locations

Canada

There are 23 locations based in Canada: Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Kelowna, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.[4]

United States
Interior view of Fashion Island Newport Beach Joey

The restaurant chain currently has locations in California, Washington state and one in Texas. Locations in California include Woodland Hills, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles. The locations in Washington state include Bellevue, Tukwila and Seattle.[4] The Texas location is in Houston.

One location closed down in the Seattle South Lake Union area in November 2013, opening a new location in Seattle's University Village shortly after.[12] The previous location fell victim to traffic and construction congestion in the area.

The newer Joey location based in Seattle is called Joey Kitchen, the only one of its kind serving test kitchen items.[13] Test kitchen items include dishes and drinks only offered through this specific restaurant, expanding to other locations throughout Canada and the United States if enjoyed by guests. The location was designed by Olson Kundig.[12]

On July 31, 2019, another location opened up in Downtown Los Angeles named Joey DTLA. The location joins in with other diverse businesses as part of The Bloc community.[14]

On March 4, 2021, Joey Manhattan Beach opened up. This location is inside the village.

On July 28, 2021, Joey Uptown opened outside the Houston Galleria in Texas.

The restaurant chain opened a new location in the Fashion Island shopping mall in Newport Beach, California in January 2023.

Other restaurants

Local Public Eatery

The Joey Restaurant Group is an umbrella company to Earls as well as Local. Local is a casual take with bar food and cheaper menu options.[15]

Earls

Restaurant founder, Leroy Earl "Bus" Fuller, died at the age of 90.[7] Earls has since been operated by Jeff Fuller's brother, Stan Fuller, who also owns a large share of the Cactus Club chain, a competitor to the restaurant.[9]

Saltlik

Brother of Jeff and Stan Fuller, Stewart Fuller, runs Saltlik, a casual fine steakhouse chain.[9]

Theme

Joey Restaurants has a casual fine dining theme. Each location is decorated with lighting fixtures, architecture, photos and decorations. The design of the restaurant is to cater to the locale and clientele of each restaurant location.[16] Each restaurant is said to be custom-designed, catering again, to each location and its atmosphere. The ambiance of this restaurant is to be dimly lit.[9]

Balsamic Braised Short Rib offered at Joey locations.

The restaurant is well known serving globally-inspired foods with a Joey twist. The menu varies by location to cater to different clientele and locals.[4] Appetizers include Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Hibachi Wings, and Korean Cauliflower. The restaurant offers a full bar with draft and bottled beers, wine, classic cocktails and non-alcoholic options. The lunch and dinner menu remain the same throughout the time the restaurant is open. The food menu has offerings such as smalls and sharings, sushi, salads, sandwiches and burgers, mains, steakhouse, and sweets.[4] A signature side dish they offer is called Crispy Mashed Potatoes, a take on a spring roll combined with a loaded potato, topped with bacon, green onions, sour cream and cheese.

Joey is well known for their Super Drinks, a classic cocktail offering of highballs such as gin and tonic, vodka and soda, or jack and coke with a lemon-lime slushy, called an Iceberg, on top.[4] The Super Sonic Gin + Tonic is named after Seattle's SuperSonics basketball team, which is now nonexistent.

The menu also offers vegetarian and gluten-wise options. There are vegan options that the kitchen can make as well. Caloric content and information is available online on the website.[17]

Dress code

Britt Innes, the Vice President for Joey Restaurant Group, is responsible for the dress code for the company. The dress code revolves around having a neat, polished and consistent appearance, focusing on an all-black outfit.[18] Partnered with Aritzia, female front of house staff wear black dresses or a mock-neck top with black pants. Male front of house staff wear black jeans and a black tee shirt.[18]

Awards

Joey was consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work Best Workplace in Canada for a consecutive thirteen years from 2010 to 2023.[19] The company has also been awarded as one of the Top Employers for Young People. According to Forbes, the restaurant dropped off the list in 2019. "JOEY Restaurant Group". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-02-18.

See also

References
  1. "48. Bus Fuller, Stan Fuller, and Jeff Fuller". Vancouver Magazine. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  2. "JOEY Restaurant Group: Revenue, Competitors, Alternatives". growjo.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  3. "All in the Family". Restobiz. 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  4. "JOEY Restaurants | See The Menu". JOEY Restaurants. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  5. "Fuller family's restaurants heading east". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  6. "Joey Restaurants won't join sister company Earls and buy certified humane beef". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  7. "'A giant in our industry': Leroy Fuller, founder of Earls restaurant, dies at 90".
  8. Mckenzie, Kevin Hinton & Ryan. "BCBusiness". BCBusiness.ca. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  9. "No sass, no sizzle in chain dining". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  10. "Al Jessa Named President of JOEY Restaurant Group". Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  11. "Mo Jessa: Duke of Earls". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  12. "Joey overdelivers Canadian fare to U Village - Cornichon.org". www.cornichon.org. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  13. "JOEY Restaurants | JOEY University Village". JOEY Restaurants. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  14. Group, JOEY Restaurant. "JOEY Restaurants Unveils Downtown Los Angeles Location". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  15. "Local Eatery | Menu". localeatery. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  16. "JOEY Restaurants | About JOEY". JOEY Restaurants. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  17. "JOEY Restaurants | JOEY University Village Menu". JOEY Restaurants. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  18. "Company statements: Restaurant dress codes".
  19. "JOEY Restaurants Mission, Benefits, and Work Culture". Indeed.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
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