PROFILE
Kevin Jones & Tony Brambilla
Jonesy’s Restaurant + Lounge Photos by Ian McCausland
Jonesy’s Restaurant + Lounge was born out of experience and opportunity. Co-owner Kevin Jones used to drive by Jonesy’s future location, in a strip mall on Bird’s Hill Road, on his way to go fishing in Lockport. When he noticed a “For Lease” sign on the door, he started driving around the neighbourhood and noticed that the thriving local community didn’t have any higher-end restaurants serving it. Kevin and his business partner Tony Brambilla opened the doors to Jonesy’s in May 2000, and they have grown to fill three units in their strip with a restaurant, a lounge with a pool table and VLTs, and a private dining room. Kevin and Tony started out early in the restaurant industry. At 14, Tony was working at CanadInns in the kitchen, while Kevin took a typical Prairie boy route through fast food in his teens to casual dining restaurants. Their paths converged at CanadInns in their 20s. What is atypical is that Jonesy’s, their first foray into restaurant ownership, has had a successful 20-year run—with no signs of abating, pandemic or no pandemic. What they have learned in their 20th year, with the outpouring of support from their East St Paul neighbours and destination diners from the city, is that their community has their backs. Jonesy’s is in it for the long haul. How would you describe your concept? Having a restaurant in a small town means you go against some of the advice you hear for restaurants in the city. You hear the old mantra, “Don’t try to be something for everyone,” but that doesn’t work here. You’ve got to have a little bit for everybody, so that’s why our menu is big. Every day, we do a lunch and a dinner special, and then the ones that are most popular, we incorporate into the next menu.
28 Order online: JonesWines.Cornervine.com
Above: Tony Brambilla and Kevin Jones; below: Jonesy’s Onion Blossom
