MOUNT VERNON — A popular local restaurant that recently closed opened last week on Public Square, and the owners couldn’t be happier.
Herbie and Sandy Joyner opened Herbie J’s restaurant about two years ago at 120 Newark Road, across from R&M’s Southside Diner, but a lease dispute led them to relocate. Sandy Joyner said she and her husband reopened on Feb. 11 in the old Henry’s at the Curtis Inn restaurant, which closed in early December.
“We are happier at the new location,” she said. “We’re excited. We hope everyone has a great experience.”
She added that the restaurant’s reception by the public has been better than they expected and many of their old customers have followed the Joyners to the new location. In addition to the regular homemade menu items such as prime rib, hamburgers and Herbie’s hungry man sandwich, there are a few new items on the menu, including a wider variety of steaks, jumbo shrimp, more appetizers and customers can now order wine and beer with their meals. Herbie J’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sandy Joyner said Herbie Joyner has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years and has been the chef at places like the old Knotty Pine restaurant in Bangs and R&Ms Southside Diner. She said she has a background in restaurant management.
Another food service business will be opening in the city this spring. Papa Murphy’s chain store will be opening in the Family Video building at 512 Coshocton Ave. in late March. Headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., the pizza shop offers customers prepared pizzas that they can bake at home. Spokewoman Lindsay Miller said all of the ingredients are fresh; nothing is frozen. Each store makes its own dough, grates its own cheese and chops its own vegetables. Customers can call ahead and order or they can have it prepared after they arrive.
“We make it and they take and they bake it,” she said. “Our mission is to give customers fresh and hot pizza when they are ready for it.”
In other business news, the new owners of the old Greenleaf Restaurant at 11587 Upper Gilchrist Road have decided on a name for the new restaurant: Allison’s Finer Diner. Terry and Pam Allison of Pataskala recently purchased the long-empty building. They are still working on the menu, but said they hope to open in late spring. The Allisons run a Damon’s Grill restaurant in Newark.