Joshua restaurants
connect with community
W
hether it’s providing their free time or food items, restau-
rant owners and managers who are members of the
Joshua Area Chamber of Commerce all say their goal is to
help the community in any way they can.
For Joshua’s Dairy Queen store, Manager Amanda May said em-
ployees can be seen at just about every local event
you can think of.
Some of those events include hosting the
store’s bi-annual car show; buying toys
for Johnson County children in the An-
gel Tree program; hosting a back-to-
school apple tree for students at Staples
Elementary School; and attending the
Joshua Police Department’s annual
National Night Out event, chamber
lunches, school Parent Teacher Orga-
nization fundraisers and Joshua Pee
Wee Football Association fundraisers.
They also partner with First United
Methodist Church Joshua to ensure local
families don’t go hungry and host a night
where Joshua police officers serve ice
cream to residents.
“We just like to do local things,” May
said. “I think it’s very important because
your community is what drives your busi-
ness.
“At Dairy Queen, we believe in supporting
our kids. The kids are our future. Our community
supports us, so we need to support them.”
Mojo’s Texmex Smokehouse & Grill Owners Terry
Hodges and his cousin, Barry Hodges, said it’s important
for local businesses to be a part of the community.
“I think it really starts with providing job opportunities,” Terry
Hodges said. “I also feel that it gives the residents another option as
far as eating out.”
They donate gift cards and coupons to residents at events
throughout the year, he said. They recently hosted a booth at the
city’s annual Christmas parade, tree lighting and mistletoe holiday
shopping market.
“It starts with the approach from the community,” he said.
Burleson’s Mr. Jim’s Pizza store donates to Harvest House and
several local churches.
“We provide pizzas for athletics, band and choir,” Store Owner
Carl Swaynie said. “We go to great lengths to make sure they’re all
fed.”
It’s important to immerse yourself in the community, he said.
“If you’re not, you’ll never get recognition and people won’t
know you’re here,” he said. “It’s a good idea to let the community
know who you are.”
At Napoli’s Pasta & Pizza, Manager Billy Shemo said they also
support the schools, local churches and the city. Sometimes they
give away food and gift cards.
“I’ve been here for 18 years and love helping the community,”
Shemo said.
Supporting youth is also important for K&S Bar-B-
Q, Owner Kim Herron said. Herron and her hus-
band, Steven, sponsor students in rodeos, prin-
cess contests and sports teams. Pictures of stu-
dents they’ve helped can be seen framed
throughout the store.
“We do hire a lot of the local kids to pro-
vide them with a job and give them some
money to learn what life’s all about before
they get out of school,” Kim Herron said.
“We help individuals in need.”
With the help of a resident, they are
starting a coat closet where those in need
can receive a coat for the chilly months, she
said. They also give police officers and fire-
fighters a first responder discount.
“It’s very important cause the community
is what backs you,” she said about helping the
community. “We are a business that loves to
help. Everybody needs help every now and then.
Whether it’s a school or an individual, we’ve all
been there. Our main goal is to make sure our com-
munity a good place. We’re here and we support our
community. They know we are in it for the long haul.”
Phillis Alexander, Sunday Dinner Catering Services
owner, said they cater at different local events.
She gives food to the homeless when she has leftovers and
sometimes gives discounts for nonprofit organizations and veterans.
Their main location is in Burleson, but Texas Snow’s food truck
can be seen at many Joshua events serving sno cones and other con-
cession stand items.
Owner Amy Roberts they attend the chamber’s Farmers Market,
the schools’ fall festivals, the city’s Fourth of July parade and the
opening of the park’s splash pad every summer.
“We definitely try to immerse ourselves in the community as
much as possible,” Roberts said. “I think local businesses are the
backbone to communities. It creates a lot of camaraderie and helps
families make memories with their kids.
“Instead of going to Fort Worth or Dallas, they can go right here
in their own backyard to do things. That’s what I like about it.”
Becky’s Cafe Manager Josue Leal said they would like to be more
involved in the community, but right now they are understaffed.
He said it’s important to be a part of the community.
“It’s part of having a business,” Leal said. “We’ve got a lot of
support from local residents around the county.”
38 Joshua Community Guide 2020