Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lowell's Restaurant: Time for change
Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times
Stark Jones (left) and Bernard Basham, partners at Lowell's Restaurant, are pictured in front of a new "JB Lounge" sign.
Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times
Stark Jones, co-owner of Lowell's Restaurant, removes a pound cake from the oven. Lowell's Restaurant, a landmark in Northwest Roanoke, is going through several transitions.
Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times
Stark Jones (right), co-owner of JB's Restaurant, cuts a piece of pound cake. The former landmark Lowell's Restaurant is changing its name, putting healthier food on the menu and raising the age of patrons on "lounge" night to 30 and up so parents won't have to party with their kids.
Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times
The former Lowell's Restaurant on Melrose Avenue Northwest is now JB's Restaurant & Lounge. They're changing more than just the name.
Read Shanna's blog
Shanna Flowers is The Roanoke Times' metro columnist.
Shanna Flowers
Recent columns
Lowell's Restaurant and Lounge, home of the best homemade pound cake in Roanoke, is no more.
The can't-miss landmark yellow building in the 2300 block of Melrose Avenue is still there. But it has a new name: JB's Restaurant & Lounge.
Stark Jones bought the business six years ago. But he and business partner Bernard Basham decided recently the place needed some changes. So the restaurant has a new name, an older crowd on Friday nights and a few new, healthier items on the menu.
But the pound cake is still available.
"The market has changed," Jones said recently, sitting in the restaurant. "We're changing with it. It's time for a new image, new look."
JB's isn't the swankiest joint in town, but it has remained open over the years as nearby competitors have come and gone.
Roanoke schools athletic director George Miller, who frequently eats lunch at JB's, knows Jones and said he "possesses all the necessary traits to be a successful businessman."
Six years ago, Jones took over from Lowell Reaves, who opened the restaurant in 1986 and added the nightclub five years later. Basham, a former Lowell's manager, became Jones' full partner recently.
The business was a natural for Jones, who grew up watching his father cook. He said his father, Jack, was a chef at Hotel Roanoke. He died when Jones was 14.
"I remember every Sunday. Biscuits, fried chicken, chitlins," Jones said, smiling and clicking off the list of different soul foods that made up the spread on the family dinner table.
When he went to Averett College to play basketball, Jones and his roommates cooked and experimented with recipes.
The cooking continued when he transferred to Radford University, where he earned a degree in organizational management.
He has worked at Burger King, Ruby Tuesday and the Shenandoah Club, among other places.
But when Lowell's became available, Jones took the leap.
"The American dream is to own your own business," said the married father of five. In addition to running a restaurant and lounge, Jones teaches management at National College in Salem.
The afternoon Jones and I met, he was preparing to make two pound cakes. He tries to make two a day.
Nearly every item on the menu stems from the cooking talents of his paternal grandmother. Don't ask for a recipe.
The fare includes the staples of burgers and fries. But Lowell's is known for its home-cooked soul food. Macaroni and cheese. Chitterlings. Ribs. Fried fish. Turnip greens. And corn bread good enough to make you want to slap your mama (not literally -- it's an expression).
Jones said the business also does about five or six catering jobs a month.
However, he realized such food "tastes good, but it's not good for you." He started hearing from some of his longtime customers who said they could no longer eat that way for health or dietary reasons.
So he and Basham decided to make some small but necessary adjustments on the menu. He said they no longer use fat in the green beans and greens.
They have added turkey bacon to the breakfast menu, have cut back on fried chicken and promote baked chicken. They have chef salad on the menu and also offer veggie plates.
The nightspot is open on Friday and Saturday nights. JB's has raised the minimum age of patrons from 25 and older to 30 and older on Fridays.
Jones said the change was because older patrons want to go out without bumping into their children.
"I think it's our culture. We don't like partying with our kids," Jones said.
Like any nightclub, it encounters its share of unruly patrons who bring their personal drama into a public spot.
On Saturday nights, the club is open to 21 and older. I dropped by a week ago Saturday. Patrons casually socialized and were enjoying themselves.
Two years ago, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board decided to revoke Lowell's liquor license for a time after it found Jones was passing off cheaper liquor as more expensive brands. Jones pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was fined $500. The license was restored.
But Jones is looking to the future.
Jones and Basham are two young entrepreneurs offering a place in the city so people can go out and have an enjoyable time.
Jones welcomes more businesses into the community because he said it increases foot traffic. The planned development of the nearby Goodwill job training center likely will increase the lunchtime crowd at JB's.
Miller added that residents should patronize businesses such as JB's.
"The hospitality there is so friendly and inviting. When you go there, you expect to get a good experience."
Shanna Flowers' column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
