CFS launching new eatery

Portland will soon have another restaurant to choose from for breakfast and lunch.

Joe’s Eatery, operated by Community and Family Services, is opening at the end of the month at 124 N. Commerce St., Portland. It will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The location was most recently the site of The Lunch Box, and was previously Jay Smokin’ BBQ.

Manager Mike Smekens said he hasn’t finalized the menu just yet, but it will be different than the standard fast-food fare. Breakfast will be traditional with items such as egg sandwiches and biscuits and gravy, but lunch will offer a variety of food.

“We’re going to have Philly cheesesteaks, ham and cheese, chicken salad sandwich, a club sandwich, so more of like a mom-and-pop diner-type atmosphere,” Smekens said. “We’re going to do quite a few different types of salads, fresh-made soups, there will be daily specials and depending on the season, the menu would change.”

The restaurant will be owned and operated by Community and Family Services, which also operates Joe on the Go coffee shop in the former Kunkle Chevrolet lot in Portland. The two operations are designated non-profit businesses and will provide unrestricted funds to CFS to be used at its discretion. CFS provides assistance to low-income residents in six counties, including Jay.

“We all know there’s governmental restrictions on funding source, so we’re trying to find a way to create unrestricted funds,” said Tom Oliver, CFS operations manager. “We love small communities and we have heard that there basically a desire for more food options in the Portland area, especially during lunch hour, so we thought it would be a perfect fit.”

CFS decided on The Lunch Box’s former location near the Jay County Courthouse because of its proximity to downtown and the kitchen equipment that came with it. The organization started planning for the restaurant in the later part of 2017 and settled on the building in December.

“Our motto is, “Empower people to improve,” but with that mantra we also try to help communities grow,” Oliver said. “If we can put a business in a building that’s going to be potentially empty, we would like to be a part of that community, that’s part of our business model as well.”

The restaurant will have three employees in addition to Smekens. It will eventually have training programs to help its employees gain skills for the workplace, such as resume writing, interviewing and working with computers.

It’s almost ready to open — the business just got its new sign in front of the building, and the kitchen equipment is all in place. Smekens said he still needs to do some staff training, but is aiming to open no later than March 1. Smekens, who’s been working in restaurants since he was 15 years old, has big plans for Joe’s Eatery. He eventually wants to offer call-in orders for pickup and possibly catering as the business grows.

“I think it’s going to be a big hit, I really do. I’ve worked in mostly corporate restaurants in my past, this will be the first mom-and-pop type thing, but I have high hopes,” he said.

“This town is begging for somewhere to go at lunchtime.”