What were you doing when you were eight years old?
Riding a bike? Playing barbies? Roller skating?
What if what you did at eight would one day become your career?
For Jamie Mast, at eight years old, she would sell water for a quarter, and by ten, she was making mac-n-cheese and salmon patties. As an adult, her precocious passion thrust her into owning and running multiple food venues and restaurants and a creative side hustle. Who would have known that salmon patties could spell success? Learn her ingredients for a delicious life.
Today’s blog follows without a recipe, just as Jamie would have it!
Ingredients for Jamie’s delicious life:
1. Passion
2. Freedom
3. Entrepreneurship
4. Creativity
5. Secrets + Second Chances
6. Joy
7. Kitty-free Zone
8. Risk-taking
9. Mentors
Passion
Jamie was born to Jim and Gloria Mast in Obetz, Ohio. She was the middle child of two brothers. At two years old, she moved to Lancaster, Ohio. Her father owned multiple restaurants and owned the Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker. Her mother was a carhop at a local drive-in. Her parents loved to cook; her dad was a lobster and steak guy, and her mom was a comfort cook.
Freedom to Create
As a student, Jamie had to ensure her grades were no lower than a “C.” If she and her siblings brought home a D, they would be grounded for however many bad grades they got. Because her father was a sixth-grade dropout, he didn’t want his children to follow in his footsteps. However, if given the opportunity, Jamie would jump at the chance to work over school any given day.
At age 8, Jamie insisted on helping prepare the family’s meals. She would observe her mother in the kitchen and follow all the steps of making a dish. No one could keep the eager little Jamie from the kitchen. Her mother gave her the freedom to create anything she wanted.
At ten years old, Jamie would cook salmon patties, baked from scratch macaroni and cheese and canned corn every Friday night when her Grandfather came for a weekly visit.
Entrepreneurship
Bob Evan’s Would Inspire Jamie’s First Restaurant
For work, Jamie served at the local Holiday Inn and, after a few years as a server with her three friends, quickly left to find work at the first Bob Evan’s in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1981. Jamie was overly impressed by how clean everything was kept. She never forgot how her manager ran the business. The coolers and floors were so immaculate you could eat off of them!
The ladies wore uniforms with red and white checkered aprons tied back, white shoes, and nylon pantyhose. In her younger years, it was policy for women to have their hair tied up. It was traditionally conservative, with a down-on-the-farm feel. This classy, composed atmosphere inspired Jamie’s passion for a restaurant.
Jimmy’s Diner
In the early ’90s, Jamie, entrepreneur, cook, and creative, owned Jimmy’s Diner, the home of the Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker. They served a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu and the Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker. Jamie baked everything fresh from scratch. Her favorites included stuffed French toast, sausage, gravy, biscuits, taco salads, Jawbreakers, desserts, and soups. At the time, she mainly created the recipes on her own.
The hometown Jimmy’s Diner was themed with red and white polka dot curtains made by her mother and red and white polka dot matching cushions on the chairs. They had a dishwasher, griller, waitress, and delivery person (a big deal in the 90s).
Rich & Jamie’s Place
From 2011 to 2014, Jamie and her husband, Rich, bought a local outdated convenience store and named it Rich & Jamie’s Place. Taking all her business knowledge and passion for a clean and tidy workspace, it would be painted and ready to hang its open sign in three short days.
A year into business, it became a deli that served ham salad, chicken salad, Mexican layered dip, coleslaw, pizzas with an option for a take-and-bake, and ice cream.
The nearby correctional facility employees frequented Rich & Jamie’s Place. She would incorporate container-sized items that allowed employees to stop and grab lunches. Word spread, and so did her quick-to-go meals and ever-so-yummy pizzas. Jamie’s cooking in the convenience store became so popular that the prison warden wanted Jamie to teach cooking at the prison! While she turned down the request, she was thrilled to be considered.
Diamond Jim’s Pizza
After much success with Rich and Jamie’s Place-Jamie took the “pizza” operating portion from Rich& Jamie’s and opened Diamond Jim’s Pizza
in 2014. An original restaurant created by her late father in the 1950s where both of her parents owned and worked. When you entered the restaurant, it took you a while. you saw a jukebox with 45 records, white checkered tablecloths, exposed brick, and two large spaces for guests and small private events.
Diamond Jim’s was the only restaurant where Jamie shared a recipe binder with her staff. Its creative menu included hand-made pizzas, a coney slaw dog pizza, a maxi pizza, an Italian Stallion, and Jamie’s BLT pizza-even fried green tomatoes on pizza, and customers thought it was terrific!
Jamie also served drinks, but only “non-alcoholic” ones, which would work to her benefit as she organically grew into a “second-chance” business and worked at an establishment where parents felt safe sending their kids and not worrying about them being in an environment with alcohol.
Second Chances
Jamie required consent to contact some of the employees’ probation officers upon being hired. Because it was within walking distance of the courthouse, law offices, and other restaurants, traffic from attorneys, probation officers, police officers, judges, and others would often get lunch at Diamond Jim’s. This eliminated any awkwardness from the traffic of professionals dining at the restaurant, and the probation officers and judges loved seeing the positive impact on the business.
Not many people have the type of relationship Jamie had with her staff. They would pour their hearts out to Jamie and tell her everything—even what she didn’t need to know—eliminating the need to perform official background checks. Despite their past mistakes, they felt comfortable in an unjudged and unbiased atmosphere. Trust and open communication helped everyone be on the same page.
Some of the staff were addicts with former priors. Most had lost their kids and lived out of cars or in homeless shelters. Jamie tears up when thinking about how hard it was for them to stay clean because she learned from behind the scenes what it looked like for someone to keep clean.
Diamond Jim’s was one of her favorite past experiences. After closing, she was joyous to know that most staff could buy cars, move into their homes, stay clean, and reclaim their lives.
Click the link below to watch a fun, nostalgic video of Diamond Jim’s:
” I think about my life when I’m not here, and it makes me emotional because I didn’t have the plan to hire second-chancers. It wasn’t a plan; they just came to me. They taught me so much about myself. I watched people change before my eyes.”- Jamie Mast.
The Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker
After much success in the food industry, honoring her way to work without a written recipe, giving others a second chance, brilliantly branding herself, and knowing it was time to bring back her family’s business, The Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker—and create success.
Her father doubted her idea, but Jamie’s fearless, passionate personality proved it was possible!
The bold business owner blended her lifelong skills and an above-and-beyond mentality for customers; she brought it all: the red-and-white brand, the down-home feel of Bob Evans, and the inherited entrepreneurial abilities. Jamie’s dedication to the Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker and continued cooking would become a staple in her community.
She’s booked out through the year for public and private events and attends music and art festivals and car shows throughout Ohio. Folks will travel near and far to wait in line for one of the best burgers around Ohio. After 36 years, she still loves to work at The Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker; if you’re unsatisfied with one bite, Jamie offers the customer the money back.
Keeping a Secret
In 1989, Jamie’s mother handed the special Jimmy’s Jawbreaker Sauce. For years, Jamie held it tight, and customers have asked about the secret sauce- thinking it had originated from her late father. Most would be surprised to learn that Jamie’s grandmother, Marie, created the mouth-watering secret sauce. While her Dad built the sandwich, the real credit goes to Grandma Marie.
Picture of The Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker burger.
Accomplishments
Her hustle, love for people, and passion for cooking helped her collect multiple high-fives, squishy hugs, community memories, many awards, certificates, and acknowledgments. She’s earned titles such as: “The Queen of Columbus Street,” Certificate of Community Partnership, “A Second Chance Employer,’ ‘Best of Fairfield County,’ and “DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD, given by the State of Ohio, along with other various mentions, such as participating in Career Week for local schools.
Creativity
The Wreath Whisper-er
When Jamie’s not working at The Original Jimmy’s Jawbreaker and stirring up her secret sauce, she’s making wreaths. Like her ways with entrepreneurship and cooking without a recipe, Jamie works her wreaths for her business, The Wreath Whisper-er, similarly—without a guideline or details.
To Jamie, “Wreaths symbolize joy, victory, infinity & eternal life.” No two wreaths are the same. She creates a variety of wreaths including: welcoming, remembrance showers, weddings, funerals and celebrations of life.”Her workspace is lined with baskets, racks full of ribbons, and fun touches. When working on her round arrangements, she catches up on conversations with her cousins on speakerphone with the TV playing in the background.
Each wreath is hand-made without any guidelines or rules. Being an innovative free spirit, Jamie’s additional wreaths are twirled with the seasons, inspired by food, patriotism, animal themes, and anything in between. Then, she shares her work from Wreath Whisper-er at art shows, fairs, and festivals. She extends her circular crafts and volunteers with a non-profit organization, Freedoms Never Free, which is one of her favorite activities.
Never Afraid to Try Something New
As an entrepreneur, she’s not driven by money but by doing what she enjoys. Jamie’s never been afraid of taking a risk. She carries the mindset of NOT being afraid to try something new. She always thought she could get a job if something didn’t work out.
JOY
Food brings her so much joy that her license plate reads “FOODIE1”.
And, for her – food is a mood, so cooking food depends on how she’s feeling. Sometimes, it’s a vegetable soup she could eat for days; other times, she loves making Italian, homemade pasta, and Mexican and Asian foods.
She loves to eat breakfast for dinner with homemade pancakes. Jamie goes for comfort foods and fancy dishes. She likes to make pears stuffed with honey and blue cheese, baked and broiled—not the kind from a can, but fresh. She especially loves creating appetizers and unusual and unexpected finger foods.
She has the most fun cooking for big groups, especially during Thanksgiving. It has been a treasured favorite holiday since the second grade after learning how the Pioneers and Indians would all contribute to a meal.
No Kitty’s When Cooking
Her one pet peeve, no pun intended, is with people who cook with cats. While humored by the idea, most people are afraid to cook for her. She thinks it’s funny because she will eat anything and loves it when someone contributes. The thought makes her question whether or not she can eat their food at get-togethers, so if you have a cat, you should play it safe and give her a little indulgence of chocolate wine. It’s one of her favorites and a bonus if you’re cooking with cats!
Mentors
Jamie credits her former manager from Bob Evan’s, emphasizing customer service, etiquette, and business hygiene, from the back of the house to walking a customer out of the front door.
She credits her father as a creative marketer and entrepreneur with a humanitarian heart.
On Christmas Eve, Jamie carries on her father’s spirit when she and her husband deliver goodies to a needy family. They knock on their door and run back to their car to watch joyfully. It’s a fun tradition she looks forward to every year.
Written by: Darian Rowles
For more organic inspiration or to learn more about Darian Rowles, Founder of Women Who Inspire, Author of Uncork Your Life: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Health Coach, Motivational Speaker, Pilates Instructor, and Blogger.