JOEY Restaurant Group is a Western Canadian premium casual restaurant chain based in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. The JOEY chain of restaurants was founded by Jeff Fuller. JOEY restaurants are a part of a chain of family-owned restaurants, expanding throughout North America. The restaurant focuses on Asian, American,

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

and other global dishes. The company operates 27 full-service restaurants in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. All JOEY restaurants feature a bar area and serve alcoholic beverages.

History

Founding and early years

The first JOEY Restaurant was opened in 1992 in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

. The chain now operates over twenty-five restaurants. The company's founding President and CEO is Jeff Fuller, son of restaurateur Leroy "Bus" Fuller (1928-2019), who founded the

Earls Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

restaurant chain with Jeff's brother Stan Fuller. Leroy Fuller was an experienced restaurateur who built the family restaurant empire stemming from one of the original A&W Restaurant franchises in Canada, an American chain of fast-food restaurants known for draft root beers, floats and burgers. JOEY was originally conceived as a pasta house called "Joey Tomato's", which opened in

in 1992 as a casual

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...

and

pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...

joint. As more menu items were added, eight years later, the name was changed to "Joey Tomato's Mediterranean Grill," before being shortened in 2005 to simply "JOEY."

Executive Chef A chef de cuisine (, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that leads and manages the kitchen and chefs of a restaurant or hotel. A chef patron (feminine form ''chef patronne'') (French for ''boss chef'') or executive chef is ...

, Chris Mills, began adding Asian cuisine to the menu as a way to rebrand the image. The company also owns the American restaurant Cucina, Cucina. In 2016, Al Jessa was promoted to company President, marking another link between the Earls chain and JOEY. Al Jessa's twin brother Mo Jessa is the current president of Earls. Earls restaurant at 191 Main Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Earls restaurant at 191 Main Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba

As of March 2020, Al Jessa is President Emeritus and Layne Krienke, former COO, was promoted to president.

Locations

Canada

There are 23 locations based in Canada:

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki� ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

and

United States

The restaurant chain currently has locations in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

state and one in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Locations in California include Woodland Hills, Manhattan Beach and

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...

. The locations in Washington state include

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...

, Tukwila and

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

. The Texas location is in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. One location closed down in the Seattle

South Lake Union South Lake Union (sometimes SLU) is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because it is at the southern tip of Lake Union. The official boundaries of the City of Seattle Urban Center are Denny Way on the south, beyond which is Denny ...

area in November 2013, opening a new location in Seattle's

University Village University Village may mean: * University Village, Albany, California *University Village, Chicago, Illinois *University Village, Grand Forks, North Dakota * University Village, New York * University Village, Riverside, California *University Villa ...

shortly after. The previous location fell victim to

traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

and

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...

congestion in the area. The newer Joey location based in Seattle is called JOEY Kitchen, the only one of its kind serving test kitchen items. Test kitchen items include dishes and drinks only offered through this specific restaurant, expanding to other locations throughout

and the

if enjoyed by guests. The location was designed by Olson Kundig. On July 31, 2019, another location opened up in Downtown Los Angeles named JOEY DTLA. The location joins in with other diverse businesses as part of The Bloc community. On March 4, 2021, JOEY MANHATTAN BEACH opened up. This location is inside the village. On July 28, 2021, JOEY UPTOWN opened outside the

Houston Galleria The Galleria, stylized theGalleria and also known as the Houston Galleria, is an upscale mixed-use urban development and shopping mall located in the Uptown Houston, Uptown District of Houston, Texas, United States.Fashion Island Fashion Island is an outdoor regional shopping mall in Newport Beach, California. Opened in 1967 by The Irvine Company as the anchor to their master-planned Newport Center district, Fashion Island is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Ma ...

shopping mall in

Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

, California in December 2022.

Other restaurants

Local Public Eatery

The JOEY Restaurant Group is an

umbrella company An umbrella company is a company that employs agency contractors who work on temporary contract assignments, usually through a recruitment agency in the United Kingdom. Recruitment agencies prefer to issue contracts to a limited company as the ag ...

as well as Local. Local is a casual take with bar food and cheaper menu options.

Earls

Restaurant founder, Leroy Earl "Bus" Fuller, died at the age of 90.

has since been operated by Jeff Fuller's brother, Stan Fuller, who also owns a large share of the Cactus Club chain, a competitor to the restaurant.

Saltlik

Brother of Jeff and Stan Fuller, Stewart Fuller, runs Saltlik, a casual fine

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as f ...

chain.

Theme

JOEY Restaurants has a casual fine dining theme. Each location is decorated with lighting fixtures, architecture, photos and decorations. The design of the restaurant is to cater to the locale and

clientele In sales, commerce, and economics, a customer (sometimes known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient of a good, service, product or an idea - obtained from a seller, vendor, or supplier via a financial transaction or exchange for m ...

of each restaurant location. Each restaurant is said to be custom-designed, catering again, to each location and its atmosphere. The ambiance of this restaurant is to be dimly lit.

include Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Hibachi Wings, and Korean Cauliflower. The restaurant offers a full bar with draft and bottled beers, wine, classic cocktails and non-alcoholic options. The lunch and dinner menu remain the same throughout the time the restaurant is open. The food menu has offerings such as smalls + sharings, sushi, salads, sandwiches + burgers, mains, steakhouse, and sweets. A signature

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.spring roll Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese and other Southeast Asian cuisines. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably within this large area, depending o ...

combined with a loaded potato, topped with bacon, green onions, sour cream and cheese. JOEY is well known for their Super Drinks, a classic cocktail offering of

highball A highball is a mixed alcoholic drink composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer, often a carbonated beverage. Examples include the Seven and Seven, Scotch and soda, gin and tonic, screwdriver (a.k.a ...

s such as

gin and tonic A gin and tonic is a highball cocktail made with gin and tonic water poured over a large amount of ice. The ratio of gin to tonic varies according to taste, strength of the gin, other drink mixers being added, etc., with most recipes calling fo ...

, vodka and soda, or

jack and coke Whiskey and Coke is a highball cocktail made by mixing whiskey, typically bourbon or Tennessee whiskey, with Coca-Cola or other colas. A popular version of the drink is Jack and Coke (also referred to as JD and Coke or Jack Coke), where the Jac ...

with a lemon-lime slushy, called an Iceberg, on top. The Super Sonic Gin + Tonic is named after Seattle's SuperSonics basketball team, which is now nonexistent. The reason why these drinks are very popular is due to them being automatic double shots. Which is why the famous cocktail is called the "Super Drink". The menu also offers

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

and gluten-wise options. There are vegan options that the kitchen can make as well.

caloric content Food energy is chemical energy that animals (including humans) derive from their food to sustain their metabolism, including their muscular activity. Most animals derive most of their energy from aerobic respiration, namely combining the carbohyd ...

and information is available online on the website.

Dress code

Britt Innes, the

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

for JOEY Restaurant Group, is responsible for the

dress code A dress code is a set of rules, often written, with regard to what clothing groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies an ...

for the company. The dress code revolves around having a neat, polished and consistent appearance, focusing on an all-black outfit. Partnered with

Aritzia Aritzia LP is a Economy of Canada, Canadian women's fashion brand founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Brian Hill (CEO Aritzia), Brian Hill in 1984. Aritzia sells a variety of lifestyle apparel through various upscale retail stores acro ...

, female front of house staff wear black dresses or a mock-neck top with black pants. Male front of house staff wear black jeans and a black tee shirt.

Awards

Joey has been consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work Best Workplace in

for a consecutive nine years from 2010 to 2018. The company has also been awarded as one of the Top Employers for Young People. According to

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

, the restaurant dropped off the list in 2019. JOEY Oscar Partner Party is a night where the employees get appreciated for their efforts. At the end of the night, they acknowledge whose performance has been outstanding, give a couple of shout outs, and prices. It is a night where both the kitchen and front of the house team get together and have dinner as well as cocktails.

References

{{Authority control Restaurant chains in Canada Restaurants established in 1992 Restaurant chains Restaurant chains in the United States Restaurant franchises Theme restaurants Restaurants in Vancouver