“We planned for the baby and the business, but we really did not plan for the pandemic.” Trevor and Jessie Driskell’s long held dream was to take over the Mustard Seed Café—to run their own business. On March 1, 2020, that dream came true. Soon after, the world changed. Jessie shares their story.
“It was bad timing but it [buying the restaurant] had been in the works for a long time. We took over and then fourteen days later is when all the shutdowns started. Fourteen days. And I was pretty big pregnant, too. And so Trevor and I, we couldn’t have any of our employees because it was take-out only…we just did it all, until summer.”
For three months they were take-out only—mid-March through May 14—about the time Jacksonville businesses are normally starting to boom with tourists. Gradually, indoor dining became an option, but only 25% of indoor space could be utilized, which, for them, meant only two tables. Restaurants began adding outdoor seating wherever they could.
“We have our original patio that we’ve always had. We have a backyard at the Mustard Seed. It was just a pile of junk and weeds and all kinds of random stuff back there from all the old owners in the past. So, we just decided to completely rip it all out and create more seating back there.”
Help from family arrived. “Trevor’s uncle, Travis Denn, is a landscaper, so he helped us out quite a bit. We ended up with, I believe it was ten tables altogether, which was pretty much what we’d had inside and on our patio. So, now we have a lot more outdoor seating, and that has definitely been a blessing.”
Their first child, Peyton Rose Driskell, joined them on July 15, 2020. Zach, a former employee, made it possible for Jessie to spend some time with her newborn.
Each day with the pandemic brought more questions than answers.
“It was a little scary going through all of Covid with a brand new baby. And we had no idea what was going on or how serious it was. But we couldn’t just shut down our restaurant and be home, so she was on the front pack with me most of the time and we were just being as cautious as we possibly could but still trying to make our life at least a little bit good.”
But requirements were ever-changing. By November, they were back to take-out only, and in December, the great outdoors was the only option. Outdoor dining in December? Jessie reflects. “When it was outdoor dining only, we got a party tent to cover the patio. The next day it was destroyed by a storm and smashed our three patio heaters. We also bought around 100 blankets for people to use out there. Then we got another tent and reinforced it as much as possible and got new heaters.”
Now that indoor dining is happening, the refurbished area is unused for lack of help. Trevor and Jessie still aren’t able to open their entire space. She explained. “I recently had to go back to work full time. Peyton is staying with some family members, thankfully, because we don’t have enough staff to get us through the days. It’s hard to find people, and reliable people at that.”
Mustard Seed recently changed their hours to accommodate the staffing problem and because of the seasonal change. They’re open Tuesday through Saturday, with breakfast served 8-11 and lunch, 11-2.
I asked Jessie if customers helped or hindered their plight. “There are always some grumpy people in food service, but I feel like most of our customers, especially our regulars, they’ve all been so supportive.” She shared how, during the shutdown, people came in for gift cards and special order cinnamon rolls for Christmas. The mask issue can be a trial, but she said that recently people have been very cooperative.
“All of our locals are just wanting to protect Jacksonville and make sure we stay where we are in safety and the loving, warm feeling of Jacksonville. I think being a part of the small town has really helped everybody stay together more.”
After hearing their story, I can’t imagine a business more deserving of support.
“I know we have struggled with our service in the past few months, so we just want to let the community know how thankful we are for them to keep supporting us, and that now we have a wonderful staff trained the right way. And hopefully, the Mustard Seed is back to what we have always known it to be and what we love. It’s been rough with everything. Our daughter, Peyton, is probably the reason we kept pushing forward, she was a bright light in some pretty dark times. I was really surprised that we made it through winter, but now I feel like we can do anything.”
Jessie shared some customer favorites from the menu. “For breakfast we’re best known for our corned beef hash and cinnamon rolls, of course. Lunch, probably our homemade soups, and Reubens are really popular. But everybody always goes for burgers.”
Head over to the Mustard Seed Café and support a delicious family business.