County Chamber of Commerce , which they ’ ve joined just recently .
“ We want to get out of it what we put into it ,” John adds .
They foresee themselves attending future Chamber of Commerce events and luncheons to promote themselves by offering free samples . It ’ s all a part of the “ footwork ” that goes into building the restaurant up .
In addition , MJ ’ s has taken efforts to reach out to the community . This includes preparing meals for the local police department and offering a $ 5 meal for first responders , veterans , and active military members . They hope to expand these efforts to include preparing meals for local school sports teams after their games .
“ We want to reach out to the community just as much as we want them to reach out back to us ,” Melanie stated .
Inside the restaurant , you ’ ll find that “ casual ” isn ’ t the first word that comes to mind . The candle-lit tables , vintage and rustic decor , and eye-catching food makes for a fine-dining experience . Dean Spears , the restaurant ’ s head waiter and first hired-on employee , credits this to the atmosphere .
“ We want everyone who comes in to feel like family ,” he says . “ We want to make it feel like they ’ re walking into a family ’ s home .”
Having 15 years of experience as a server , Spears has found joy in working on the front-end . He likes that it allows him to “ talk to everybody .”
“ It ’ s entertaining to see all the different types of people you can meet ,” he adds .
Maria also says she loves serving . She finds joy in seeing customers “ come in grumpy and leave happy .”
Another contributor to the atmosphere is the Christian values they promote with it . For instance , unlike the restaurants there before them , they refuse to sell alcohol . During their first Somernites Cruise , several people came in looking only to order alcohol . Even with the losses , MJ ’ s still firmly holds onto their beliefs .
“ We ’ ll close the doors before we serve alcohol ,” stated John .
In fact , they have big plans for the bar lounge that ’ s been left behind by the previous owners . They intend to convert it into an ice cream bar , creating an environment that ’ s welcoming to kids . There they ’ ll serve milkshakes , fresh pastries and just a wide variety of desserts .
With the handful of televisions leftover as well , MJ ’ s plans on possibly bringing in game systems to attract demographics of all ages . They also want to encourage those that play tabletop games , such as D & D or Pathfinder , to come in and run their sessions . They already have private party rooms to do so .
As for their food , John says they make everything “ from scratch and to order .”
“ You can customize any order to the way you like it ,” he adds . “ I ’ ll find it , and I ’ ll fix it .”
While MJ ’ s has a set menu , they pride themselves on
June 2022 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 23