Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Willis. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Keyona and Joy, owner/operators of K&J Seafood, have been best friends for 20+ years and decided to take their friendship one step further and go into business together.
Keyona spent most of her 20s living in the south and during this time developed a love for seafood boils. She quickly noticed there was no place to get this type of food back home. Joy, through her love for cooking and many visits to the south with Keyona, mastered a recipe for the perfect “crab boil”.
Once Keyona returned home to Cincinnati they thought after hosting seafood boils for fun for friends and family “what if we turned this into a business?” Both continued their careers in corporate America while starting K&J “Seafood Sundays” on the weekends. Needless to say, they were a HIT! Each week they introduced a new Louisiana or K&J-inspired dish that customers loved more than the last.
Within a few months, they knew this was “God’s Plan” and began making plans for a Brick-and-Mortar location. Both left their full-time jobs and with much blood, sweat, and tears K&J Seafood was born.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not in the least! We’ve faced issues with financing, support and/or advice from peers, juggling family demands, staffing, and most recently effects of Covid such as pricing and availability on our key menu items.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
K&J Seafood has officially brought “Nawlins to the Nati”! Serving fresh, authentically prepared Louisiana-style dishes with seafood at the center. Our food, including signature seasonings and sauces, give you the feeling of jazz, drinks, and soul – just like Nawlins.
What sets us apart is us! Our story is unique in the way that our concept was born and the authenticity that we pour into our dishes. Our brand is built on the familiarity of both of us and our families and the concept that we are providing something that is natural to us to please the masses.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson has been to build a community to learn from, aspire to and teach others. That community includes our customers as they provide feedback, our peers, our heroes and other aspiring entrepreneurs that we can help. This is imperative to gauge how we are doing in the marketplace and help tackle the steps that come next.
Contact Info:
- Email: Kjseafood86@gmail.com
- Website: Kjseafood.com
- Instagram: K_jseafood_
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/KJSeafoodCo/
