Veronica Whitt, owner of Jim Dandy Drive In, stresses family values, old-time ethics and an old-fashioned way of doing things in her establishment, which has been a Portsmouth staple for decades. She is also seeking employees who share those values.
Whitt invites interested applicants to bring a printed résumé to the restaurant at 2348 Gallia St. in Portsmouth. Applicants can also phone the restaurant at (740) 354-2610 for more information about available positions. Whitt said she will interview applicants and determine whether or not the position will be beneficial to both the restaurant and the applicant.
“You have to love what you do, and it’s got to be in your heart,” she said.
This is the kind of attitude she is looking for in her employees. Everything is done the old-fashioned way, with employees acting as “car hops.” Employees walk to customers’ cars to take orders and deliver the food, so customers are interacting directly with employees, not a speaker box.
The building where the restaurant is located began as a car lot in the early 1950s. Whitt’s grandfather bought the car lot and renovated it into a Frisch’s restaurant. He had a dream of creating a new restaurant named “Jim Dandy,” and in 1965 his dream came true when Whitt’s parents, Ron and Donna Rolen, opened the current restaurant.
Whitt and Cindy Damron, an employee at Jim Dandy, have worked together since both were very young. Damron said that some of her favorite things about working at Jim Dandy include reminiscing about the past and working with family. She used to be a kindergarten teacher and enjoys seeing old students. She loves building relationships with her customers, seeing first dates, first jobs and more. Her favorite thing about working at Jim Dandy is being with family and friends every day.
Not much has changed since the restaurant opened nearly 60 years ago. They put tartar sauce on everything and have been getting it from the same place in Cincinnati since 1965. Their famous “Jim Dandy” is a ham and Swiss sandwich with that same tartar sauce on it. Their most popular meal is the “Big Mo and Coke,” which is a burger and fry meal with a Coke.
Whitt gives back to the community by advertising at local high school sporting events, especially at Valley local schools since a lot of younger members of the owner’s family play there. She also donates to churches and other local organizations. Whitt noted that she also is proud to provide employment opportunities to people recovering from addiction. She noted the number of rehab centers in the area and said she wanted to do the best she can to offer people a second chance.
