Meet the Owners!
Jodi Hicks
When you say “we’re buying a restaurant,” NOBODY ever says “great idea!”
So why am I here? Ask me to my face and I’ll say “I’m crazy,” which may or may not be true. But really, I love serving people in any way. (I love making music, too, but that’s an even harder way to make a
living.) There’s something about being able to make people feel good, even in a small way, that’s incredibly fulfilling.
From my first knife skills class 30 years ago to training for corporate restaurant management, what I always come back to are the flavors and the people. I love “playing” with my food – seeing what happens when certain ingredients come together, especially in a pinch. And the people! Food service workers are a league unto their own; we have a resiliency and a drive that can only be understood by one another. There’s a bond forged in these trenches.
Speaking of people… Customers delight me. Meeting new ones and welcoming back those who return genuinely makes my day. I’m not fishing for compliments when I check on tables; I truly want to know what you think and what you like. If I can improve on something, or add an element that people want, that’s a great opportunity.
Customers have heard me say that I hate saying “no,” and it’s true. I like to find ways to make things work, to elicit that happily surprised response. (I also love making people laugh, and I apologize now that
I should probably remove the salt from my language and just use it for cooking.)
I’m at work a lot – my dogs say too much – and that’s not going to end any time soon. If I’m not at the restaurant or running errands for it, winter finds me hibernating with music, reading, seeing our kids, and snuggling the dogs. In warmer weather, I love being outside if I can; you may catch me noodling on my guitar in the beer garden between the lunch & dinner rush or plumping up any flowers we can plant.
Mitch and I share five young adult kids, and if we’re lucky, one or more of them may be with us at the restaurant here and there. Our parents and extended families are “with” us here, too – you’ll see my parents’ artwork and furnishings, recipes and sometimes even their smiles at Porkie’s. I’ve been texting Mitch’s mom for recipes from her side; she’s no slouch in the kitchen, either. My nana Ethel’s burgundy goblets shine in the dining room; my grandma Ruthie’s lessons over the stovetop season our chicken.
Mitch Hicks
I like food, ok?
More seriously, I already own a successful business that keeps me plenty busy, so why did I think buying another one made sense? I spent years watching Jodi get overworked and mistreated by large corporate entities for crummy pay and no real way out. That had to change.
I thought it was time for us to find her something where she could pursue her passion of making people happy with good product and good customer service. She said, “no food, no retail, and no weekends.” So, we can see how that worked out. When we came to Porkies, tasted the food, and caught the vibe… well, I knew as we walked to the car that it was probably all over.
And honestly, food is in my family. My grandma Fran owned and operated restaurants and a catering business for years. In my last long summer trip to California to visit her before my grandparents moved to Pennsylvania, I spent plenty of time serving her clients and helping in her deli. But, I knew to stay away when she was making a wedding cake because she was…. Cranky. And grammie Irene was a farm girl who knew how to pull together simple ingredients to make comfort food with love. Between them and a mother who also loves to cook and experiment, I never went hungry.
So, what’s my role at Porkies? My first responsibility is managing the back office and financial operations of the business. Visitors to our social media have likely seen me in our “Local Beer Snob” videos. I enjoy discovering new beers and promoting offerings from our local breweries. Finally, at the restaurant I often take care of customers, run deliveries and events, and otherwise contribute in whatever way Jodi asks me to.
Sometimes, people ask me what it’s like to work with my wife. First, I love the look on Jodi’s face when she has delighted a customer or client – to see her in her element doing what she loves is pretty awesome. We rarely butt heads, in part because I appreciate and follow her expertise in this area as my professional background has nothing to do with food service. We compliment each other well – so it works!
If you’re around us long enough, you are likely to hear me called “Captain Happy.” I am an instrument-rated commercial pilot (single- and multi-engine land ratings) and love to talk people’s ears off about flying. I also enjoy riding motorcycles, holding stress management sessions on the golf course, and making music with my voice and guitar. And I’m a bit of an academic, so it’s not hard to engage me in some intellectually stimulating discussion.
Oh, and… I love all the dogs, particularly Callie and Pilot.
Meet the Hounds!
