06/07/2026
I can't say I wasn't warned coming into this business, because I definitely was, and I see and have watched the toll a lifetime of owning and operating a small business such as this can take on your body, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I've seen how it can affect families for generations, and why a lot of mom-and-pop places end up having to just close one day, or at the very least, take weeks off at a time.
It has been a long time since I've re-introduced myself, and on this special day, it's not only June 7th, in the middle of our sixth (seventh) year of business, but it's also my oldest son's 19th birthday. He has made his momma proud by continuing a career in food service management himself (still holding out hope one day he'll want to take over, lol, but until then, I'm so PROUD of the opportunities he's pursuing and the experience he is gaining outside of Mom's kitchen ❤️).
Anyway, back to it. Hi, I'm Jennifer, and I am the owner/pastry chef/grill cook/server here at GGs. My sister, Jessica, with 18 years of service in the Navy, stationed on the coast, close to the beach...sorry, now I'm dreaming 🤣, and I purchased our family's restaurant, the Parma Cafe (proudly serving Parma since 1975, run by our grandmother Lana Putnam from 1985 and passed down to our aunt and uncle when she retired from the kitchen around 2015, closing the cafe in 2017 to pursue full-time catering). Jess and I purchased the building in August of 2019, reopening November 13, 2019. It's been a ride, guys. And I'm not just talking about 2020 and all the chaos Covid brought. I honestly almost miss the slow, steady pace, the ability to truly get to know my patrons and community, and the calm and kindness brought to the world.
I'm talking about the fast pace and chaos of the business, raising a family, trying to have any kind of personal life... especially when living a Bob's Burgers dream (peep Gene's eye roll in the kitchen), and sometimes dreams are more like nightmares.
I live right upstairs, guys. I don't get away from work or home. I don't leave much and have almost forgotten how to interact with people outside of the restaurant over these last almost seven years. Our work and personal lives became an endless hamster wheel, and I'm so grateful for Jerrod stepping in and supporting me through some tough times, but the constant stress of this career, the heat in the kitchen, and throwing that all together while still getting to know each other in a newer relationship... there have been some bad days, and inexcusable behaviors, short interactions, blow-ups in the kitchens, a lot of tears... good and bad. Really, I do cry over everything; it just happens, I can't help it sometimes, and they are not always bad... BUT for that, we have decided it best to separate our worlds, and Jerrod is finding his joy and energy in his scraping business adventure, and I will continue to focus on my dream of feeding my community breakfast, lunch, and dinner (when we find that right person, experienced in both front and back).
I truly love what we, as a team, do here at GGs, and that's cook up some good, whole, homestyle food. From breads, pastries, and desserts to grandma's recipes, and whole, local ingredients prepared fresh in-house. We hire teenagers for their first jobs, learning to multitask, greet strangers, and keep a friendly demeanor. We also run with a small crew in order to pay a higher wage and split tips with both front and back, because good quality food and service come hand in hand. Sometimes things get busy, might take a little longer, and we might not get to chat like we would like, or we're trying not to forget the drink refills, food in the window, or a table that still needs to be cashed out. We are proud to work together, front and back, helping instill a good, hard work ethic in our youth (so needed in today's world) and to bring our community good, friendly service and even better-tasting, quality food.
Which brings me to the last point of this long post: we have a small staff and have recently lost one of our cooks to medical leave. We have a new team member hired, but training takes time, and I, Jen, cannot cook 7 days a week. I need a day of rest, and with that, we will be closed tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday, 6/8 and 6/9, to allow me that day and then to catch up on all the delicious breads, pastries, and desserts and prep to feed you all. After that, we will be closed next Sunday, 6/14, due to being short-staffed and prior obligations, and then will be closed on Mondays until our staff is back from leave and fully trained.
Thank you for 6/7 years of service, and I truly look forward to feeding you all for many more.
❤️ Jennifer
