translation: • 4001 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix
Like many others, Caitlin and Ryan Jock started their careers in the restaurant industry while they were in school. After graduating, they pooled their knowledge to found Jock Concepts, a group of eateries in Phoenix and Scottsdale. One of their newest is Eat Up Drive-In, a fast-casual dining destination in Arcadia built with families in mind.
Can you give us a brief history of Jocque Concepts?
R: Like many people, I worked in the service industry to make ends meet during my school days. I ended up working in the service industry in Las Vegas for years, intending to graduate and find a “real job”. After returning home to Arizona with some money and a fair bit of market experience, I came up with a crazy idea to keep it going. I started a company called Lucid Entertainment in 2001, and opened our first location in Scottsdale in 2003 and our second location in Venice Beach in 2004. Jocque Concepts was founded when my wife (then fiancé) and I teamed up to launch ChopShop in 2012.
C: Since then, we have grown and evolved with the help of our incredible team and there are seven restaurants under the Jocque Concepts umbrella: Diego Pops, The Hot Chick, The Montauk, American Junkie, Pretty Please Lounge, The Lighthouse Café and Eat Up.
What is your job title and responsibilities?
C: We are co-owners with a few partners. We work together to create each concept, which is what we enjoy the most. Ryan runs the overall business operations, and I help maintain the brand, including the menu, uniforms, music, marketing, etc.
Did you always know you would end up in this industry?
C: It was just considered a temporary job for both of us for many years. We started working in restaurants in high school and college, then it turned into bigger jobs. Ryan started as a dishwasher and I became a host. We worked in restaurants doing just about every different job.
I studied design at ASU and always had a passion for design but didn't know how to turn that passion into a career. I met Ryan while working at a restaurant and started helping him design an existing project he was working on and that's when we decided to work together.
R: Prior to founding JC, he owned and operated Nikki's in Venice Beach, Blonde in Kansas City, American Junkie in Hermosa Beach-Gaslamp, San Diego, Pussycat Lounge, Dirty Pretty and American Junkie in Scottsdale.
Where are you from?
C: I was born and raised in Phoenix and Ryan moved here from Detroit as a child and he has lived in Arcadia since he was 8. We both attended Arizona State University.
What was the inspiration behind starting Eat Up?
C: We're both parents and, like most people, we have incredibly busy schedules, so we saw a need for an elevated fast food experience that offered better ingredients, quality and taste. And we found that.
“We came up with the idea after we found the location. We knew this type of concept would fit in this area. We've lived in Arcadia for a long time and were happy to provide something we felt the community needed.”
What inspired you to design your menu items?
C: Creating the menus is usually a collaborative effort between us and our two chefs, Hector Cruz and Nate Woods. Ryan and I have different food preferences, so we combined each other's tastes, wants and needs to create a balanced menu.
We looked at all the options: what we liked, what we thought our neighbors would like, and of course what our kids would like. A big part for me was that I wanted people to go there and get something they liked, something their kids liked, something they would actually eat.
Which is your most popular product?
C: I recommend the Hot Chick Sandwich. It's so good! It's a crispy, spicy sandwich with their own spice rub, coleslaw and pickles. The baked potato and gluten-free chocolate chip cookie are also popular, but it's hard to choose. They're all delicious.
In your opinion, why is Eat Up so popular?
R: Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Caitlin and I built the idea around our family's wants and needs: We live and work in the area, our kids go to school across the street, and we visit nearby retail and restaurants every day. From there, the concept was built around one simple question: What would our family enjoy having in our neighborhood? We're happy to see that other families seem to enjoy the same thing.
C: It's casual, convenient, and has great, high-quality food. The staff is also amazing and friendly!
Jocque Concepts is a family business – is it easy or difficult working with family?
R: Both. We didn't decide to work together from the get-go. It was meant to be a temporary gig, just like any other job when we first got into the industry. Our workflow now is pretty seamless, we've agreed on the concept, look, feel, menu offerings, etc. Once the restaurant is open, we'll each go our own way.
This complementary workflow makes my job easier and I think that's why we've worked together for so long. The hard part is not taking work home with me. I'm conscious of when to switch from work to family conversations. When I sit down to sit down with my kids at the dinner table to talk about their day, I take my work hat off and keep it off.
Do you think your daughter will also be involved in the industry?
C: My kids are now 6 and 8 and they love playing restaurant at home and are always asking when they'll get to work at Eat Up…I can't wait to find out!
Do you have any interesting stories from your time in the industry?
C: I worked in a bar for a while so I have a lot of stories to tell but I don't know if they're relevant [laughs]However, during her time working at Eat Up, her daughters were also involved.
This is the first restaurant where our kids are old enough to watch us cook and they came to sample the recipes. They are so proud. My oldest daughter tells everyone that she created the menu and design herself. [laughs]It was really special to have them be a part of this.
R: It was no laughing matter then, but in the late '90s I worked at a nightclub in Las Vegas where an exotic animal trainer was employed to bring in a full-sized adult tiger for display. The trainer charged customers $10 to stand next to an uncaged tiger inside the club while it was open and take a Polaroid picture. A few of us were waiting for the club to close when a coworker kicked open the back door to throw out the trash, creating a loud bang and letting sunlight stream into the dark venue as the trainer and tiger approached.
The tiger got scared, jumped straight up into the air, let out a loud screech, and ran away from the trainer. I jumped behind the nearest bar to hide, but the tiger trainer was behind the bar too. I thought, “Not good, I'm going to be eaten by a tiger… well, I guess that's a pretty cool way to die.” No one knew where the tiger had gone and no one made a sound or moved for about an hour. We finally found the tiger and I'm happy to report that no one was hurt.
What do you do when you're not working?
C: Traveling, trying new restaurants, exercising, spending time with friends and family, I also love baking, but with a new baby at home, there's a lot to do.
What are the future plans for Jocque Concepts?
C: There are two projects underway in Old Town that are completely different from Eat Up. [laughs]”One is a sports bar and the other is a two-story rooftop bar. One is my style and the other is Ryan's style. We're hoping to open in the fourth quarter of this year.”
