Jersey Jo’s – A Black-Owned Family Business Bringing Philly Flavor to Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota is home to a vibrant community of small businesses, each with a unique story to share. During Black History Month, we’re celebrating the Black-owned businesses that add culture, flavor, and heart to our city and are our friends through Neighborly Gifts. One of those businesses is Jersey Jo’s, a family-run spot serving up authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Founded on tradition and a love for great food, Jersey Jo’s is more than just a restaurant—it’s a reflection of hard work, dedication, and strength of family.
When we initially reached out, his response was filled with gratitude: “Thank you for thinking of us. We most definitely would be interested in doing something.” We had the pleasure of speaking with Joe to understand the meaning of a family-owned business, the therapeutic aspect of cooking, and the challenges faced by black entrepreneurs, such as financial and cultural barriers and the importance of respect within the community.
Read the full Q and A session below for a deeper dive….
Neighborly: What is the most rewarding part about running a business with your family?
Joe: “Believe it or not…it’s the time you get to spend with them. It’s interesting…we don't appreciate the amount of time we spend together until something else happens, and then you're like, wow, I remember doing this? I think one of the biggest things people do is spend time working and doing things in their life, but they don't spend time with their family. So families grow up and they grow apart. We really grew together because we had no choice. We had to be here."Neighborly: How often do you get to see your family and what do you want them to learn about the business?
Joe: ”My wife is working in the back and I see her every single day, all day. My youngest son comes from high school and we get to see him every day too. I have three sons in all and as long as they lived with us, they had to work for the family business. I enjoy working with each of them because when we talk, we all have a common interest. That's the business, you know. My hope is, as they go out doing whatever they want to do, that I have planted a seed of entrepreneurship in them, that they are just never satisfied just doing one thing they want to branch out and do more.”
Neighborly: What is an interaction you’ve had with someone in the community that you want to share or say to yourself, “I can’t believe this happened!”
Joe: “In this business, you see a lot of people, and being so close to Mayo, you see a lot of people in desperate and unique situations. About nine years ago, I got to sit down and talk with a gentleman and he shared his story with me. They had given him a terminal prognosis for cancer, 60 days to live. Every year, for the last nine years, we've gotten to know each other very well. He came into town last week and we picked up the conversation like we always do. He is in his late 60’s, retired from the Air Force, builds cars, and the best thing yet, when his last treatment came in he was almost cancer-free.
I always tell everybody, it’s not the big things. It's just small little things, the birthday parties and the interviews with you. Getting to know people on a personal level. And those things kind of attach it to a community and attach you to an experience. Then they last because they grow over time.”
Joe: “I've always liked to cook. I cooked a lot before I opened the restaurant. Cooking, for me, is therapeutic. When you go through problems or issues, people have different ways of coping with things. For me, it's the creativity of taking ingredients and putting them together. The reward is when you give it to somebody and their reaction to it. It kind of just makes your individual problems seem less.”
“There's a specialty in being able to meet somebody, a total stranger, give them something, and watch their whole day change.”
Neighborly: What have you learned about yourself or your business that you want others to know?
Joe: "The thing about cooking is you have to give people respect the way you do things. When somebody comes into our doors asking, “Well, can you put this item on it or make it this way? I want others to see what we offer and respect the way we make our sandwiches. I do this every day for a living and when people know that, then everybody will come in, and they'll learn to respect the process and ask to make it your way. And I think that's what helped us over the years so much, because then I can make it how it should be made.”
Joe: "The thing about cooking is you have to give people respect the way you do things. When somebody comes into our doors asking, “Well, can you put this item on it or make it this way? I want others to see what we offer and respect the way we make our sandwiches. I do this every day for a living and when people know that, then everybody will come in, and they'll learn to respect the process and ask to make it your way. And I think that's what helped us over the years so much, because then I can make it how it should be made.”
Neighborly: What does being a black-owned business owner mean to you?
Joe: ”It’s a challenge. If you define challenge, that means any black or minority business in America has unseen challenges. Those challenges are financial, economical, and cultural challenges. 75% of my clients don't look like me when they come in my door. The walls are bright red, most of the time I have R&B on and it’s not your normal Midwest look when you walk in and see a sizable black guy standing behind the counter. People are immediately intimidated, so I have less than 30 seconds to make them feel comfortable. I'm pretty successful at it, but it's a challenge that happens every day in the world.
The black community in this country is seen as a second-class community and there is a misconception about DEI that it's a black program, it's not. People are misinterpreting this and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is about getting people to the table. White females, black males and females, Hispanic people, and different, brown, and sexually oriented people in this country didn't have a chance to sit at the table. So when people sit here and want to talk negatively, I think they need to sit back and consider the challenges that most people face in life. People do not understand things until it affects them. It’s too late.”
Neighborly: What advice would you give to another aspiring black entrepreneur in Rochester?
Joe: ”Being an entrepreneur itself is hard. It requires the sacrifice of your personal time and personal dreams. But if you work at it hard enough, you can reshape those personal dreams into much larger realities. And when I say that, what I mean is you might want to go to the cities this weekend and go fishing. When you own a business, that probably won’t happen, you will be working.
But if you work hard enough, then when you finally do get to go to cities, you can actually charter a boat, and go fishing. There are rewards, but also a lot of sacrifices.”
Neighborly: Lastly, what is your favorite item on the menu you love to make?
Joe: “That's a tricky one because I love food. We serve steak and chicken. If I had to say steak, it would be the traditional Philly cheese steak, Joe's way. Everything on it, spicy and with both cheeses. If I had to say chicken it would be my Spicy Chicken Sandwich. My version is special because I add sweet coleslaw to it which gives it some character.”
The interview ended with us asking Joe what his favorite sandwich was to make and if he could make it. He walked to the front counter and typed in the sandwich order. We followed him to the flat-top grill in the back and watched as he prepared a Philly AND the Spicy Chicken Sandwich…Joe’s way. There were no recipes followed or referenced, just a feeling he had when it was done to perfection. The meat and veggies were cooked down, topped with cheddar cheese, a large slice of provolone and placed into an Amoroso bun. To finish it off, he added the appropriate amount of condiments needed for the first bite. It was delicious and Joe’s way.
February is Black History Month—a time to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and resilience of Black communities. At Neighborly Gifts, our mission is to uplift our neighbors, share their stories, and support their passions—not just this month, but every day. Watching Joe craft his sandwiches with intuition and experience, no recipe needed, was a reminder that passion and tradition are at the heart of great food—and great communities. We’re honored to share his story and celebrate the impact of Black-owned businesses that bring flavor, culture, and connection to our neighborhoods.
