For the past several months we've documented the progress of the new Uptown restaurant Jojo. This is the first concept for chef Laurent Poupart, who is originally from France and worked in New York and California before taking a job as a private chef locally.
See also: - Meet JoJo - Construction at JoJo Continues - Chef Laurent Poupart
Last spring, Poupart decided he was ready to get back into the restaurant business. He hired Plan B Group to help with the design and GreenTag for construction, both which have lots of experience in the aesthetics of local eateries. Poupart spent all of this summer plotting through every detail of his new restaurant, while fighting through several nasty head colds (he hates and blames air conditioning).
There has been a change in the kitchen already. Andrew Bell of NOSH was initially hired to be the executive chef, but he has left and Poupart is bringing in two chefs he worked with previously to help him in the kitchen.
The other day I asked Poupart if he's ready to be done with construction and to start cooking. He looked in the air and put his hands out, like waiting for something to fall from the sky. Then after a pause to contain his emotions, said, "I can't wait to get in the kitchen."
Jojo is now just a few weeks from opening. If all goes well, the first diners will be served the second week of November.
Here's a peek at what the restaurant looked like in June and how it appears now:
The bar area and wine display:
The kitchen area:
