Today we’d like to introduce you to Jurni Rayne.
Hi Jurni, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always loved the hospitality industry. I started waiting tables and bartending at age 18…yes 18…in Texas, you couldn’t drink until 21, but you could serve alcohol at 18. LOL. I’ve always loved entertaining and being in the restaurant industry provided me with that outlet. Singing happy birthday, cracking jokes with my tables, etc. So, it wasn’t surprising that I majored in Hospitality Administration with a focus on restaurant management and food preparation. I continued working in restaurants up until this day and have never looked back.
I moved to Los Angeles seven years ago and managed at California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory. I began doing some restaurant consultation for small restaurant businesses and decided, “why not take my own advice and create my own restaurant?” And that’s exactly what I did.
In October/November 2019, I started writing a business plan for my restaurant. It was called Evette’s Bayou and it was southern and creole cuisine. I begin writing recipes and making dishes for people to taste and give feedback. On March 12, 2020, I was presented with a lease agreement for a restaurant in the Fairfax Melrose area and I told the landlord to give me a week to look over the lease. On March 16, 2020, the world shut down. I honestly dodged a bullet by not signing that lease.
I felt extremely discouraged and didn’t think this restaurant idea was an option for me, so I began doing some catering events… mainly to continue playing with what worked and what didn’t work with the plates. I looked over my menu and asked myself, “which items could stand alone as its own concept?” My most popular dishes were shrimp and grits and chicken and waffles. Something in my brain clicked and said “grits and waffles.” I liked the idea of a southern and creole brunch concept, and from there “Gritz N’ Wafflez” was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has DEFINITELY been rocky. The pandemic attempted to dismantle the entire hospitality and travel industry. Both industries being imperative to my operation.
This is a start up…and one of the most riskiest businesses to get into. Banks don’t like to lend to risky start ups, so financially, I had to attempt to back this entire project on my own. I have personally put almost $50,000 into this restaurant. Yes, I am one of those who took my 401K money against all advice to try to make this work.
I found a location downtown LA and was very excited to be there. I paid my security deposit, but as time passed, the date for me to get into the space kept being pushed back. After six months of waiting, I was told that it would be another 9-12 months before I can get into the space. I didn’t want to wait another year. I had already waited two years, thanks to COVID. So, I decided to looking to a ghost kitchen concept. A ghost kitchen is a large warehouse type building with several commercial kitchens inside. There is a front area where you walk up to pick up your to go order. It allows me to get my food out to the masses while reducing my overhead costs. The concept is a great one for a restaurant starting out who needs to test the market and figure out what works and what doesn’t.
While in the ghost kitchen, I have several ways people can place an order, via my www.gritznwafflez.com or through third-party delivery systems (Uber, DoorDash, Grubhub).
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Gritz N Wafflez specializes in American Southern and Creole influenced brunch options. Brunch is our favorite mealtime and we feel it should not be limited to weekends only, so we provide brunch every day that we are open. Our menu consists of Creole Shrimp N’ Gritz, Chicken N’ Wafflez, French Toast, and a few other fun items that are a rarity to find in Los Angeles.
Our rare items include Crunchy Cinnamon Toast, Peach Cobbler Wafflez, Fried Gritz (yes, I said fried), Collard Green cheese dip with hot water cornbread, and Celestial eggs, which is our version of fried deviled eggs. We are also one of the few restaurants who offer cheese grits and sweet sugar grits. There is a lifelong debate about how grits should be consumed, sweet or savory. With Gritz N Wafflez, you can have it either way…and we don’t judge.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
This entire restaurant is shocking for a lot of people. When I moved to LA, I moved here as a singer/songwriter. I started doing commercials, background acting, and stand up comedy along the way. A lot of people did not know me as a restaurant manager or a restauranteur, so this entire venture is a little shocking for most of the people I know.
Right now, I am the only employee at Gritz N Wafflez. I am the dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, inventory manager, guest relations manager…you name it! I have been fortunate enough to have help from some friends who have gotten me through some tough and busy times this past month that I’ve been open. I definitely would not have been able to do this 100% solo.
Pricing:
- Shrimp N Grits $22
- Chicken N Wafflez $22
- Collard Green Cheese Dip $11
- Celestial Eggs $10
- Fried Cheese Gritz $9
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.gritznwafflez.com
- Instagram: @gritznwafflez
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GritzNWafflez/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gritznwafflez
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gritz-n-wafflez-los-angeles
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g32655-d23904292-Reviews-Gritz_N_Wafflez-Los_Angeles_California.html
Image Credits
Food photography was by Sarah King
