JUNE 202 C aitlin and Ryan Jocque started their careers in the restaurant industry working their way through school, as many do. After graduation, they combined their knowledge and started a group called Jocque Concepts, which houses eateries in Phoenix and Scottsdale. One of the most recent is Eat Up Drive-In, a fast- casual dining experience in Arcadia that started with family in mind. R: Like many of us, I worked in the service industry to support myself through school. The intent was to graduate and find a ‘real job,’ only to find myself in Las Vegas for many years still working in the service industry. After returning home to Arizona with a bit of money and some considerable market experience, I had a crazy idea to keep it going. In 2001, I started a company called Lucid Entertainment and opened my first place in Scottsdale in 2003 and second in Venice Beach in 2004. Jocque Concepts was formed years later when my wife (fiancé at the time) and I collaborated on creating and opening ChopShop in 2012. C: Since then, we’ve grown and evolved with the help of an amazing team. There are seven restaurants under the umbrella of Jocque Concepts: Diego Pops, The Hot Chick, The Montauk, American Junkie, Pretty Please Lounge, The Lighthouse Café and Eat Up. C: We – along with a few partners – are the owners. We collaborate to create each concept, which is our favorite part. Ryan leads the overall business operation, and my efforts are to maintain the brand, which includes menus, uniforms, music, marketing, and more. C: It was considered a temporary job for both of us for many years. We started restaurant jobs in high school and college, and then it turned into something more. Ryan started as a dishwasher, and I was a host; we pretty much worked all the different jobs in a restaurant. I studied design at ASU and always had a passion for design, but I didn’t know how to turn that passion into a career. I met Ryan while working at a restaurant and started helping him with design for an existing project he was working on. That’s when we decided to work together. R: Before forming JC, I owned and operated Nikki’s in Venice Beach, Blonde in Kansas City, American Junkie in Hermosa Beach – Gaslamp San Diego, Pussycat Lounge, Dirty Pretty and American Junkie in Scottsdale. C: I was born and raised in Phoenix, and Ryan moved here from Detroit as a kid. He has lived in Arcadia since he was eight years old. We both attended Arizona State. C: We’re both parents with insanely packed schedules – as are many people – and we recognized a need for elevated fast food offering better ingredients, quality and taste. That was really it! We came across the location and then came up with the idea. We knew that this kind of concept would complement the area. We’ve lived in Arcadia for a long time and were excited to serve the community with something we thought they needed. C: The menu creation is typically a collaboration between us and our two chefs, Hector Cruz and Nate Woods. Ryan and I have different food tastes, so we combined our favorites, wants, and needs to create a well-rounded menu. We considered all options – a bit of what we like, what we think the neighborhood would like, and obviously what kids would like. A big part of it for me was wanting people to go there and get something they like and what their kids would like and actually eat. C: I would say the hot chick sandwich. It’s so good – crispy and spicy with a proprietary spice rub, coleslaw and pickles. Our baked potatoes and gluten- free chocolate chip cookies are also fan favorites, but it’s so hard to pick. It’s all good. R: It may have to do with the fact that Caitlin and I conceptualized it with Caitlin and Ryan Jocque, owners of Eat Up Drive-In eatupdrivein.com • 4001 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix In the Kitchen Christ Lutheran School Preschool - Grade 8 • www.clsphx.org LC-MS 3901 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix | www.cclphoenix.org | (602) 955-4830 LOVE GROW SERVE IN-PERSON WORSHIP Traditional Worship 8:00am/10:45am Contemporary Worship 8:30am/10:30am Teaching Service 9:30am ONLINE WORSHIP Sunday @ 8:am/10:30am FB Live or CHRISTCHURCHPHX.ONLINE.CHURCH
NE 2024 were old enough to watch us create, and they would come taste-test the recipes. They’re very proud. My oldest tells everyone she created the menu and designs [ laughs ]. Having them be part of this has been really special. R: At the time, it wasn’t funny, but in the late 90s, I worked at a Vegas nightclub where an exotic animal trainer was hired to bring a full-sized adult tiger to display. The handler charged patrons $10 to take a Polaroid photo while they stood alongside the uncaged tiger inside the operating club. A handful of us remained to close up when a coworker kicked the back door open to take out the trash, making a loud noise and flooding By Rachael Bouley Sonya Colattur and Monica Nitu of Xavier, and Gabriella Nakai of Arcadia High are among 150 high school seniors chosen for the 2024 Coca-Cola Scholarship – a pool that saw over 103,800 applicants nationwide. These students made it through a competitive selection process to receive a one-time $20,000 college scholarship. Now in its 36th year, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program is the largest achievement-based, corporate- sponsored opportunity in the U.S. The company offers scholarships to students who demonstrate superior leadership, service and academics while inspiring positive change in their communities. Over $84 million has been awarded since the program began. Sonya, Monica, and Gabriella were invited to attend the Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta from April 25 to 28, which included a banquet and a leadership development session with program alumni. To be considered, students must be actively involved in their school and the broader community. Sonya ticks those boxes, participating in Mock Trial for all four years at Xavier. She secured proclamations from Governors Doug Ducey and Katie Hobbs to recognize June 7-14 as Multiracial Heritage Week. Sonya also raised awareness of companion pets for seniors through her nonprofit, GrandPaws Pantry, which she founded eight years ago to support the enduring connection between humans and animals. She said she was ecstatic to receive the scholarship ahead of her move to the University of Pennsylvania to attend the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. She hopes to pursue a pre-law track or work in government and policy, with an interest in constitutional or immigration law. “The Coca-Cola Scholarship brings together some of the brightest, kindest and most passionate youth in my generation and it’s an honor to be in this community,” Sonya said. Monica displayed community involvement through her work with Pierian Spring , Xavier’s art and writing magazine. As editor-in-chief, she celebrated and encouraged creative expression and helped grow the magazine through collaborative meetings and poetry workshops. Her hard academic and extracurricular work paid off with the scholarship news, which will make a big difference as she plans to major in history at Columbia University while also fulfilling pre-med requirements. “Being recognized as a 2024 Coca-Cola Scholar came as a complete surprise, but one filled with gratitude,” Monica said. “Considering the caliber of past scholars and their achievements, I feel incredibly humbled to be counted among them.” Monica said she is grateful for the financial assistance and future guidance as she strives to attend medical school and continue supporting nonprofit initiatives. “It connects me with a network of scholars with strong ambitions and diverse perspectives,” Monica added. “This is invaluable for personal growth, professional opportunities and developing connections with like-minded peers that can last a lifetime.” At Arcadia High, Gabriella participated in Student Government all four years and served as an Arcadia Ambassador. She founded N.A.S.A. (Native American Students of Arcadia) to help grow the community and foster friendship. “When I applied for the scholarship, it felt like a shot in the dark because it’s so selective, but the worst that could happen would be for them to say no. The best thing is that I got it,” Gabriella said. “It’s incredible to see the passions other scholars have and how inspiring they are, but it’s also amazing to know that the things I’m passionate about others are taking a real interest in and, in turn, are investing in me!” Gabriella will take her scholarship to Stanford University and hopes it will connect her with other changemakers as she pursues public service advocacy. “The scholarship means that someone else believes that the change I want to make in the world is feasible,” Gabriella said. “This organization and selection committee have seen my impact and work in the community and want to invest support and money to ensure that I can pursue it in college and in the future.” High school seniors may apply for the scholarship starting August 1, 2024. coca-colascholarsfoundation.org Local students win Coca-Cola Scholarships Sonya Colattur Gariella Nakai Monica Nitu around our family’s wants and needs. We live and work in the area, our kids go to school across the street, and we frequent nearby retail and restaurants on a daily basis. From there, the concept was really built on one simple question: What offerings would our family enjoy having in the neighborhood? We are pleased that other families seem to be enjoying the same. C: Because of its ease, location, and variety of delicious, quality items. Our amazing, friendly staff, too! R: It’s both. We never set out to work together. It was intended to be temporary, much like our jobs when we started in this industry. Our workflow today is fairly seamless; we agree on concepts, look and feel, menu offerings, etc. Once a location is open for business, we have our own lanes to stick to. This complementary workflow has made it easy, and it is likely why we have worked together for so long. The challenging part is not bringing work home. We are intentional when the time comes to turn the conversation from work to family. When we sit with our kids around the dinner table to talk about our day, the work hats come off and stay off. C: They’re six and eight right now, but they love playing restaurant at home and are always asking when they can start working at Eat Up, so… we’ll see! C: I worked in bars for a while, so I have plenty of stories, but I don’t know if they’re appropriate [ laughs ]. While working with Eat Up, though, having my daughters involved. This was the first restaurant they the dark venue with sunlight as the handler and the tiger approached. The tiger got so spooked that it jumped straight up in the air, made a loud screech, and ripped itself loose from its handler. I jumped behind the nearest bar to take cover, only to find the tiger’s handler behind the bar with me. I thought, ‘This is it. I am going to be eaten by a tiger...which is a pretty cool way to go out, I suppose.’ None of us knew where the tiger had gone and not one of us made a sound or moved a muscle for what seemed like an hour. We eventually found him, and I’m happy to report no one was hurt! C: Traveling, trying new restaurants, exercising and spending time with friends and family. I love to bake, but with a new baby at home, there’s a lot going on. C: We have two projects in the works in Old Town. They’re very different from Eat Up [ laughs ]. One is a sports bar, and the other is a two-story rooftop bar. One is very me, and one is very Ryan. We’re hoping to open them in the fourth quarter of this year.