Tag: #Shoplocal

  • Nutrition and Southern Hospitality Shine at Jo’s Cafe

    Nutrition and Southern Hospitality Shine at Jo’s Cafe

    Jo’s Cafe embodies the theme song from the iconic television show Cheers.

    You remember the tune “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” Over the last year or so, my husband and I have found some of our favorite people, food, and “our table” at Jo’s Cafe.

    Jo's Billboard Sign

    Named after “Aunt Jo” (Jo Moore) of Tupelo. Inside the historic, cream colored home in the heart of Tupelo, this Cafe and its owners have found their way into the hearts, homes, and taste buds of locals and visitors alike. The restaurant offers catering, meal prep, and food truck options, in addition to traditional dining. There is something for everyone at Jo’s!

    Four years ago, Jennifer Brignac and her husband, Johnny Cook, started Jo’s Cafe, a food truck designed to travel to disaster sites and feed first responders and victims.

    In 2020, they opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at Crosstown, but they’ve never forgotten their original mission.

    Jo’s Cafe is also a faith-based organization focused on providing disaster relief to those whose lives have been affected across the United States. Leveraging their expertise in cooking to serve meals for victims, volunteers, and first responders in national emergencies and disasters, they are committed to using our resources to meet the needs of others. Their team and staff are prepared to respond by providing compassion and offering hope and friendship in the form of hot meals.

    Recently, Johnny, Jennifer, and their crew spent Christmas Day in Kentucky. After watching TV news coverage of the deadly tornadoes, they knew what they had to do. They fed more than 500 people that holiday, helping the victims and clean-up crews of the violent Kentucky tornadoes that ravaged much of the state.

    “We saw aerial footage of the damage, and I told Johnny it was weighing heavy on my heart,” Brignac said. “And he agreed.”

    HOSPITALITY AT ITS FINEST

    In the Magnolia State, not only do we know the devastation that can occur from a tornado, but we also understand the importance of helping our neighbors. Tupelo locals rallied around Jo’s Cafe and donated items to Kentucky, such as gift cards, candy, and frozen turkeys. Loyal customers wanted to help their beloved Cafe and their owners, as this was a mission that Mississippians understand all too well.

    On Christmas Eve, along with fellow employee Kristin Buse, the couple piled into a pickup and drove Jo’s Cafe’s mobile food trailer 250 miles to Murray, Kentucky, where they spent the night with some missionaries from another local disaster response group, Eight Days of Hope.

    “This is a total God thing,” Brignac said. “We’re just using the resources He gave us.”

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    As New Orlean natives and Hurricane Katrina survivors, it is important to Johnny and Jennifer to help and serve others, with the motto “You cannot do everything, but you can refuse to do nothing.”

    “We were living on the Gulf Coast when Katrina came through, so it’s kind of our background,” Brignac said. “We’ve been on both sides of a disaster, first as victims and how as helpers.”

    MAKING LEMONS OUT OF LEMONADE
    Dietary restrictions, or not, Jo’s is a place where everyone can eat natural, whole foods, and eat them together! A dozen years or so ago, Jennifer discovered she was gluten intolerant. She took this challenge as an opportunity to learn how to cook gluten-free food.

    Are you gluten intolerant? Diabetic? On a keto diet? Or, do you simply enjoy fresh, whole foods? Jo’s Cafe has a FULL low carb, keto, no to low sugar menu that is always available. Plus, everything tastes amazing!

    It’s impossible to list all of my favorite menu items, so here are a few: Chicken Philly Waffle, Crack Chicken, Mexican Casserole, Bacon Cheese Biscuits, Jo’s Signature Ribeye over Greens, and Fat Boy fries. They also make their own keto coffee and loaded teas! There are several dessert options as well. Currently, Jo’s offers “Keto King Cake bites!” So you can “let the good times roll” and stay on your diet too! “Laissez les bons temps rouler”!

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    Jennifer and Johnny put their hearts and souls into Jo’s. This kind of care is shown not only through their number of returning customers but also through their relationships both inside and outside the Tupelo community.

    THE FIRST INGREDIENT IS LOVE

    Johnny loves to cook and wants everyone to get a plate of food fit for every friend and family member. Many ask Johnny what his special ingredients are. His answer is always the same, “I start with love!”

    COOKED FRESH TO ORDER
    Because Jo’s wants everyone to receive hot, freshly prepared to order food, they don’t typically use heat lamps. They don’t believe in pre-cooked food sitting under lamps before ordering. You order. They cook. Fresh, whole foods, and oh my…are they delicious!

    ONLY THE BEST
    Jo’s shops daily to get the freshest ingredients for their dishes. They don’t believe in pre-battered and/or pre-packaged ingredients.

    LIFTING WHERE THEY STAND
    Jo’s Cafe is not just a business trying to make a living. Jo’s Cafe is an organization that wants to make a difference. Not only do they provide healthy, delicious food for each customer, they also utilize their talents and cooking skills to help others in their time of need, although if you’re looking to keep yourself healthy products like Juice Buff can help a lot with this.

    CUSTOMERS ARE FAMILY
    The Cafe has allowed Jen, Johnny, and their talented staff to make invaluable connections. “Our patrons are no longer customers after their first visit; they are our friends. The support and encouragement we receive from them is priceless!”

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    If you’re in the Tupelo area, just drive down Gloster Street and look for the billboard sign that says “Jo’s Cafe, Located Over Yonder.” Once you find this local gem, you’ll never forget it! It is indeed a place “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” A place where nutrition and hospitality are of the utmost importance and the southern tradition of gathering together around good food is maintained.

    Welcome to Jo’s Cafe, y’all! I promise you will not be disappointed!

  • Visiting America’s Hometown, Laurel, Mississippi

    Visiting America’s Hometown, Laurel, Mississippi

    My husband and I recently attended a wedding in his hometown, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Later that weekend, we decided to check out the town of Laurel, Miss., home of the ever-popular HGTV show, “Hometown.”

    Here’s what you need to know before I dive into all things Hometown. We lived in Hattiesburg for the first ten years of our marriage and then moved up to Tupelo. I have spent MANY days in the town of Laurel for both work and church responsibilities. My memory of what Laurel used to be and what it is now is entirely different!

    Laurel used to be like many other small, forgotten towns with a few streets of beautiful historic homes and great potential. . The downtown buildings were abandoned, the roads unattended to, and many surrounding homes were declining rapidly. I recall telling my husband many years ago, “It’s such a shame. Laurel COULD be such a beautiful town.” Well, coulda, shoulda, woulda! Ben and Erin Napier made those comments come to life with their vision, love, and dedication to their hometown.

    To be clear, Laurel still has work to do, as we all do, right? But I believe their journey has just begun! Home by home and project by project, the Napiers are buoying up the streets of their beloved Laurel.

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    The downtown shops that surround the well-known Hometown sights are bustling and vibrant. Roads are being repaired. Beautiful artwork and quotes have been painted on the sides of brick buildings. Up and coming restaurants, as well as established local eateries, are inviting and full of patrons. Laurel is starting to shine, and it’s a beautiful sight to see!

    While walking the streets of Laurel, we met people from Wisconsin, California, and my husband’s hometown of Hattiesburg! It’s incredible that this small town, the Napier’s, and their show have attracted people from all over the country and just down the road at the same time.

    Naturally, the first thing I wanted to do was to check out the famous Laurel Mercantile Co. So we parked the car, we took a few photos in front of the blue truck we all know and love, and then everything became blurry for a bit, as I indulged in all things Hometown and handcrafted!

    The Laurel Mercantile Co. is full of beautiful, tasteful items handpicked by Ben and Erin. Cutting boards crafted by Ben, Erin’s signature headbands, artwork, candles, t-shirts, canvas bags, and so much more! At The Laurel Mercantile Co., everything has been made in America, and most of it is Mississippi-made and as we needed to drive all the way there. We got contact information for a lawyer, like those at Valiente Mott, in case an accident happens.

    The entire shop is full of heirloom quality, locally made goods. So, if you love to truly shop locally, their mercantile is a dream come true!

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    After taking in the craftsmanship and beauty of original art, and all things mercantile, we walked down the street to the Scotsman General Store. At the entrance of the general store, my husband became like a kid at Christmas time!

    Walking into the Scotsman General Store is like walking into your favorite childhood memory. Unfortunately, they were not filming on this rainy Saturday, but we still enjoyed all of the Scotsman brand original handmade wood products; they are gorgeous!

    You can grab a glass bottle of old-fashioned soda and some nickel candy and see Ben Napier’s woodshop where he creates the custom pieces you see on their show.

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    Flannel shirts, delicious pantry items, candles, cologne, beard balms, and beautifully crafted leather items are for purchase as well!

    My favorite part of visiting the Scotsman General Store was a conversation with one employee. He happened to be one of Ben Napier’s “main wood guys,” at least that’s what he called himself.

    He welcomed us to the store and asked where we were from. Being from the area, we told him how amazed we were at the growth and beauty of Laurel. We learned that he and his wife had moved to Laurel about a year and a half ago from Arizona. Their children were grown up and gone, and they thought Laurel, Mississippi looked like a nice place to live. He enthusiastically told us that they had sold their home in Arizona, moved to Laurel, bought a lovely home, and have been debt-free for a year! This sweet man said, “I have a job that I love, and it’s just awesome what Ben and Erin are doing here.”

    To which I replied, “I don’t even know you, but I’m so happy for you!” He smiled and said, “Listen, you guys are young, don’t ever give up on yourselves or your ideas.”

    Wow. Admittedly, I love my purchases from both of these fantastic stores, but that conversation still has me smiling. To me, it best represents the spirit that is Laurel, also known as the “City Beautiful.” So appropriate, don’t you agree?

    Ben and Erin Napier seem to have this innate sense of pride and purpose for their hometown. They dreamed of a new era of growth and prosperity for Laurel, and I can’t imagine how fulfilling it must be to watch these dreams come to life.

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    Laurel (like many Mississippi towns) was once a bustling sawmill center in the early 1900s and earned its title as the “Yellow Pine Capital of the World.” But, like many small towns throughout America, it has seen its fair share of economic hardships, recession, time and change, that eventually led to its decline. I think that’s why so many of us love to watch Hometown because everyone loves a great comeback story!

    The Napiers are not only restoring homes; they are restoring hope. Hope in building a prosperous life in a small town. Hope in connecting newcomers to locals. Hope in restoring industry and also restoring hope in the American dream.

    Ben and Erin Napier’s vision for their hometown in Laurel, Mississippi, showcases a great life lesson that we all need to remember…

    Lift those you love.