Rob Meets with Rusty Coco, Co-Founder of Jason’s Deli Chain!
Rusty Coco
The first things that struck me about Rusty Coco were his genuineness and his east Texas charm. It’s not often that I come away from a meeting with the head of a large hospitality chain wanting to go have dinner with the guy. But Rusty is not your average button-downed executive type. He’s interested in people and cares passionately about Jason’s customer base. He’s a fitness enthusiast who works out two hours each day. Yet he loves good red wine. He also loves “Curb your Enthusiasm” on HBO. My kind of guy.
He hails from Beaumont where the first Jason’s Deli was launched in 1976. The reason that it became a deli at all was because the owners of the strip mall were from New York. They said they would lease the space to the budding entrepreneurs but only if operated as a deli. Thus, Jason’s debuted with all the requisite Deli chow: Reuben’s, Liverworst, et al. A local Beaumont DJ who was on a diet suggested that put in a salad bar. And so they did!
Funny how some things begin! Jason’s Deli now consists of almost 200 stores across the country with an emphasis on Texas, and the Southeast. More stores are targeted for the upper Midwest and the Northeast.
Rusty has championed the menu development of the chain since the first store and continues to be involved on a daily basis. He shocked the fast-casual industry four years ago by completely pulling trans fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) off the Jason’s menu. He now has high-fructose corn syrup in his sights.
Rusty also acknowledges that some of the sandwiches and especially the Potatoes at Jason’s can be highly caloric. And so he’s worked on introducing lower calories sandwiches and salads. But there are devotees of the restaurant who must have their Muffalettas [the classic New Orleans sandwich] and their potato concoctions. So as Rusty knows, trimming calories is a work in progress, especially in Texas.
I brought my daughter Lauren [marketing grad from St. Edwards and current Apple marketer] along to the meeting. Rusty asked her how long she’s been coming to the Bee Caves location of Jason’s.
“Since I’ve been alive,” said Lauren without a moment’s hesitation. Well, perhaps a bit of an overstatement given that the store opened 15 years ago and Lauren is 23. Bu the perception was there. Jason’s likes to start its customer base young. And the Balons made many a trip there when our kids were growing up, playing sports, etc.
Nonetheless, Rusty loved it. He then left to have dinner with his son: all prepared from scratch after an excursion to Central Market.
“I get to watch him cook” and I sit and drink some red wine and admire the process,” said Rusty. Well, if you’re going to be a success in the restaurant business, you have to love food. No?
As I said, I would definitely like to go to dinner with this guy.
