Our Pride Your Joy "We Are Big Enough to Serve You But Small Enough to Appreciate your Patronage"
Our Family History
To tell you about our restaurant, I must also tell you about my family, for they are one and the same.
My father fled communist Albania as a boy. In Yugoslavia, he was accused of being a spy and imprisoned. Sentenced to death, he escaped twice, finally reaching a refugee camp in Italy. There, through the Geneva Convention, he received a visa allowing him to come to the United States.
He arrived in New York City on Christmas Day, 1964. He started as a dishwasher, observed and learned the restaurant business, and eventually worked his way up to night manager at several restaurants.
He studied at New York University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration. As supervisor and director at Restaurant Associates, from 1969 to 1972, he was in charge of some very well-known restaurants.
Through his work with Restaurant Associates, he met and worked with Chef Joe Baum, the innovative restaurateur who created restaurants like the Four Seasons, a restored Rainbow Room, the Hawaiian Room, the Forum of the Twelve Caesars, Tavern on the Green, La Fonda Del Sol, Zum-Zum, Quo Vadis, the Trattoria, the Brasserie, and Windows on the World. This last was on the top (107th) floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
As Business Advisor with Restaurant Associates, he worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando from 1973 to 1974. There, he hosted a banquet for then-president Richard M. Nixon, and for the Motown singing group, The Supremes.
He then went to work at Ancorp National Services, from 1974 to 1978, first as regional director and ultimately becoming vice president. At Ancorp, he was responsible for 230 restaurants across America, including those servicing the workers of the Alaskan Pipeline.
With John F. Gilmore, founder of the Gilmore Collection Restaurants, he opened Thornapple Village Inn in 1978, in Ada, Michigan. It was voted the top French restaurant in Michigan. Former President Gerald Ford was a regular customer there.
Our Restaurants History
Jessi’s Restaurant was opened November 1, 1997, by Dj and Roza. I was 3 years old at the time, and did what I thought was helping with the restaurant work. I kept learning, and was finally put on the payroll in 2007 at the much older age of 13, the legal age to work, and have worked in restaurants ever since.
At 13, I was the youngest person in Florida to receive a Food Safety Manager certification, scoring a near-perfect 94% on my first try. I started as a cashier, busboy, and host. By 2008 I was a waiter. I started cooking in 2012 and managing the restaurant in 2013. With guidance from my parents—and, as told above, I have the very finest guidance there is—I am taking over all aspects of the business. I am a part-time college student, taking classes in business administration.
We have been at the same location since opening: 8331 66th Street North, in Pinellas Park, Florida.
Family and Restaurant
Our customers know my maternal grandma Shega as “Mamma.” She did the homemade cooking for over 10 years, finally deciding to retire when she turned 80. One of her many legacies to the restaurant is our bread, baked fresh daily, which we call Mamma’s Bread (or if you prefer breakfast, Mamma’s Toast).
Mamma’s Bread is a perfect example of what makes Jessi’s Restaurant special. All of our dishes—our gravies, salad dressings, soups, pastas, sauces, meatloaf, roast turkey, roast pork—all the items on our extensive menu—are made from scratch, with the highest quality ingredients. Nothing frozen or canned.
I now do all of the homemade cooking. I take great pride in what I do. I strive for customer satisfaction. Nothing pleases me more than hearing a customer tell me how much he or she enjoys the savory traditional dishes, the affordable prices, and the friendly service at Jessi’s Restaurant.
Someone once complimented Isaac Newton on his historical accomplishments. Newton replied, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” As proud as I am of my own accomplishments, I realize that I can reach higher, achieve greater things, only because I stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before me: my father, mother, and grandma Shega.
I aim to continue making them proud.
Jason Sulisufay
General manager and co-owner,
