I was excited when I saw that Jason's Deli would be opening here in Tallahassee, at a location that had seen a parade of short-lived establishments. I was even more excited when I started hearing my friends who had previously eaten at a Jason's Deli singing its praises:
"healthy and fresh"
"great organic salad bar with many options at a good price"
I am glad my cashier suggested the Manager's Special, which gave me a trip to the
delectable salad bar for a side!
"sandwiches with healthier options"
"great homemade soups"
"friendly staff"
"FREE soft serve ice cream"
Self Explanatory - yum!
Being me, I started poking around on the Internet to see if Jason's becomes involved with the communities where it does business - that's a critical point to win me as a loyal customer. I learned that, among other causes, Jason's Deli supports The Miracle League, which helps children have opportunities to play baseball, regardless of ability.
As I was visiting Jason's Deli for my first time ever, during a sneak peek last Friday, I overheard a customer say, "this is what Tallahassee needed."
The "sneak peek" crowd was numerous and enthusiastic.
It occurred to me that there are some "do's" and "don'ts" about Jason's Deli that will help us Tallahasseeans make up our minds regarding how much we need this new restaurant:
What they don't have:
High fructose corn syrup. (Read more about that here.)
Artificial trans fats. (Read more about that here.)
MSG.
What they do have:
The honor of being named "Best Restaurant in America" by Parents Magazine (March 2011)
A corporate mission statement that emphasizes people as well as product (The mission statement is included here.)
A gluten free menu
Jason's offers a couple of conveniences that are new to me, such as paying for your soup and salad at a self-serve kiosk and the Jason's Deli App for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches (guess I'll have to get my teenager with the iPhone to help me with that one!).
Jason's Deli has given me a $25 gift card to share with one of you so you can find out for yourself if "this is what Tallahassee needed."*
To enter, please leave a comment on my blog letting me know what aspect of Jason's Deli you are most excited about!
To get an additional chance, please post the following to Twitter and let me know (via a comment) that you did.
I am joining @biggreenpen in welcoming @jasonsdeli to #Tallahassee! Fresh, healthy food served by friendly people. http://bit.ly/JasonsDeliTLH
I will choose the winner on Tuesday, January 19, at 10 p.m. Eastern. Please make sure to leave me an email address so that I can reach you if you're the winner
The food is prepared right in front of your eyes!
ps - special shout out to my cashier Shelby and my server Theodore - great job on the first day!
*The gift card can be used at any Jason's Deli in the US.
Author's Note: A commenter questioned my phrase "a parade of short-lived establishments" to describe the businesses that had occupied this building prior to Jason's. The commenter pointed out that after Banjo's (which was there a long time) vacated, the only other business was Helen's Silver Bullet Diner. I am unable to document any other restaurants in that location, so will concede that the "parade" was a very short one! I apologize for any misstatement. I know I hated driving by that location and seeing so little activity between Banjo's closing and Jason's opening - a vacant restaurant isn't helping our economy or filling our stomachs! Paula Kiger (2/29/12)
27 comments:
I love bringing my kids there for the healthy food!
I am stoked about the gluten free bread. I can't wait to try them.
Love, love Jason's Deli! Glad you get them now! :)
Tweeted!
I absolutely love the fact that Jason's Deli has options for gluten free diets! Not to mention their hummus is really good.
I'm a big fan of Jason's Deli. So many restaurants serve up processed foods these days, it's nice to have a place to go to get good, wholesome, REAL food.
I recommend the deli club. Or if you want a hot meal, try the pastas.
and tweeted. :)
I'm just excited to have another healthy choice in Tallahassee! I'm looking forward to trying some of their salads on my lunch breaks. Thanks for telling us about our new community member :)
-Lauren
Also tweeted :)
so so happy to have Jason's here. Too often fast, convenient food means unhealthy Frankenstein-food. Jason's is proof it does not have to be that way! I hope more deli chains take notice and step up to the challenge!:) I am also tweeting this great blog. thanks for sharing Paula!!!
I live near Birmingham. AL and Jason's Deli is one of our regular haunts. The kids love it!
Nice entry Paula! Can't wait to try it out myself :). Although it isn't a local chain, I like that they invest locally. Thanks for the info
I can't wait to try it out. I loved it when I lived in Nevada and we had one close by. I'm particularly excited about the self serve kiosk for those truly busy days! Tweeting now :)
I'll tweet about it too - we loved eating at Jason's when we lived in TX - in fact last time I was in Dallas we had Jason's for lunch!
I am excited about having the full, organic salad bar just down the street from my home. I have never been to a Jason's Deli, but I look forward to it! Plus, I hope they have a variety of pickle options.
kuntrygul@gmail.com
I didn't know about Jason's Deli until you posted this blog. I'll have to see if we have any in Massachusetts. But we will be traveling to San Fran and Chicago this year and our daughter lives in Tennessee. I love the idea of a healthy deli! Growing up in NY those two words together = oxymoron .:)
I have several friends who are on gluten free diets so the idea we can have a place to go out to eat together is exciting.
I love the healthy and organic food choices. My fav is the Mediterranean Wrap with steamed veggies! yummm
NO HFCS is always a plus with me! As someone who reads ingredients faithfully in search of Bad things like HFCS, this is super important. Also, I've been known to call a company directly from the store when I've spied that ingredient in the food item to let them know I am no longer buying it!
I also just visited their site & love the healthy options they have. I'm tired of always having to get chips, fries, or nothing! Yay for a place that offers fresh fruit, steamed veggies..and apples or carrots for kids! LOVE
paul_and_tamara at yahoo dot com
Tweeted for you! :)
An organic salad bar, muffalettas & free ice cream makes Jason's a slice of heaven even for those folks with gout. Welcome to Tally Jason's Deli!
Looking forward to trying it! Salad bars & soft serve...sign me up :)
Veggie Muffaletta!
I tweeted :)
I am looking forward to all of the gluten free products/foods that Jason's will have to offer Tallahassee!!!
A "Parade of short lived establishments" in that location? Umm... There was ONE short-lived establishment: Helen's Diner. The previous occupant, Banjo's BBQ had been there for decades. One short-lived tenant does not a parade make.
Dear Anonymous, my memory may serve me incorrectly. I added an author's response to address that (it is important to me to be accurate). Thank you for your comment. pk
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