Getting To Know The Band
It started with a blackberry. One hot 🥵 July afternoon in 2016, Jewell and five year old Hunter were looking for something to do. With sun hats adorned, sunscreen applied, and water bottles in tow, they set out to the blackberry wilderness. Six pounds later, they returned home with their vast bounty. Jewell had seven years of culinary experience at the time as a licensed Sous Chef 👩🍳 with the American Culinary Federation. This lead to a plethora of ideas. Coincidentally, a close friend of the family purchased a canning set, became disinterested, and gave it to them. Jewell’s mom had just been diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity, and a close friend was a vegan. Jewell began research on the gluten free and vegan markets to discover there wasn’t a lot out there, let alone that tasted good. Why not create something yummy that checks these boxes?
Jewell was working at another home grown Kansas City business, Jack Stack Barbecue at the time. Her Jack Stack Family gave her tips, tricks, and invaluable feedback about flavors that worked and didn't. One friend even coined the name Jewell's Jamzz (Shoutout Nicole B.!) 😆 Jewell then ventured out to the Shawnee Farmers Market, where the real Business to Customer test commenced. This opened so many doors. 🛍️ Lady’s night Sip and Shops, Holiday themed events, First Fridays, pop up shops, Realtor parties, Old Shawnee Days, Festivals, she was having a blast! 💥
As the business grew, a former colleague showed interest in having the Jamzz in their bakery. Initially this sounded like a great idea! Cottage law protection only extends from the Business to Customer model, not Business to Retail Customers. Imagine the panic and surprise when a cease and desist letter arrived with a hefty $500 a day fine if operation continued in the capacity it had been 🤯 A deal was made to make the Jamzz in house to display and sell in the bakery in exchange for a licensed kitchen to produce. However, as what sometimes happens, that partnership fizzled out. 🤷🏻♀️
Through adversity, we have a choice:
Quit, or Keep. Moving. Forward. 💅 🫅
Half panicked, Jewell was able to talk with her Mom and Dad about options. After finding the local commissaries to be too expensive for this Momma on a budget, building a kitchen in the basement seemed the most viable option. It took time. It took patience. Money. Creativity. More patience from Dad. More patience from Mom. Then eventually came the inspections and the glorious license. At this point, we were ready for retail.
Relationships with The Monarch Bar, Made In KC, Blackhole Bakery, one of the Cerner campuses, as well as some weddings and large party events really began scaling the business. The Kansas City restaurant scene is mighty, but smaller and more connected than you think. The jam business was very humbled, and thankful for this.
March 14th 2020 was the last bartending shift pre-Covid that Jewell worked. They were furloughed that following Monday. The choice was sit at home and wait on when and if the government would subsidize our living expenses, or find a job. Jewell was a single Mom with a mortgage and sitting at home did not seem realistic. Jack Stack was well connected with some local grocers throughout the city. She was instructed to work sacking groceries for a third of what she was making bartending, while waiting to get her job back. Three days in, she was promoted to management and still couldn’t make ends meet. Something had to give, and it was the jam business. All of the equipment was sold, and the mortgage was put into forbearance to adjust for the crippling difference in income. The jam business shuttered its doors January 2021.
cue the love story 🥰
Jewell had sworn off love altogether. It was her, and her kiddo against the world. In walks a tall drink of water with twenty plus years of grocery experience, a business degree, and confident determination in his bones. He has a cute butt too 😉 We made for a badass management team, complimenting each other’s strengths and weaknesses perfectly. Fast forward to two more kiddos and a marriage to add to the mix.
September 2023 Jewell was seven months pregnant with their daughter, and an advertisement came up to be part of a reality show involving entrepreneurs. Intrigued, Jewell filled out the application. Serendipitously, past jam customers randomly asked for jam after the business lay almost four years dormant. Several interviews later, and she was cast to be on season 14 of The Blox Reality Show!
March 19th, 2024 was the first day of filming, and the day the LLC was finalized for Jewell’s Jamzz. Coincidence again. The love, connections, brilliant minds that surrounded her during this experience were positively electric. On day two, she was chatting elatedly with her husband Ty about the events that transpired. Being of the entrepreneurial mindset himself, Ty suggested they do it together. When Jewell got back, construction of Jam Kitchen Two commenced.
Here we are, at the end of August 2024, having just attended The Blox Graduate School (part two do that reality tv sho mentioned above 👆). Our commercial license is ready, and we have begun selling to the masses!
if you made it this far, thanks for reading about our jam fam! We will use this blog as a working document and point of reference we hope to bring you joy and happiness’s while you #getyourjamon with us! Thanks Fam, we 🫶 you! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
With Love,
Jewell And Tyrell (Ty)