Some restaurant franchises want you to believe each branch is locally owned. Jake’s Wayback Burgers, which opened its doors in Windsor Plaza on January 17, really is. The West Windsor Jake’s has a decidedly local flavor — especially since its owners, Frank and Linda DeMilt, have lived in town for the past 16 years.
“We wanted to open a business for our retirement, and also a as legacy to pass on to our kids,” Linda DeMilt said. “Our son, Frank Anthony, graduated from High School South last year, and is now at Thomas More College in Kentucky, and our daughter Gina is currently a sophomore at High School South.”
She explained that she and her husband researched many different types of small businesses before deciding on opening a Jake’s Wayback Burgers. “We met with people from the corporate office and visited several Jake’s restaurants to sample the food. We even brought our daughter and her friends to try it. We loved the people, and we loved the food, and decided this was by far the best choice.”
The DeMilts had another reason for deciding to open a Jake’s Wayback Burgers. “We wanted a place for kids, a place where they can not only hang out and eat quality food, but also a place where they can get a job and earn work experience. It is so hard for kids to find a job —they are told they can’t be hired because they ‘don’t have enough experience,’ and they can’t get experience because no one will hire them. We want to give them a chance,” Linda said.
And Jake’s is giving local kids that chance. Jake’s employs roughly 30 people; 17 are from High Schools North and South. In addition, three employees are recent South graduates, and several more are from local areas. Jake’s also has two managers, Danielle Ortado, a West Windsor resident, and Nancy Kroll, a former resident. The DeMilts themselves are at the restaurant frequently but still hold full-time jobs. Frank DeMilt works in New York as the vice president of sales for the print company Earth Color Thebault and also works as an independent sale contractor for Regel printing.
Linda DeMilt, who is a full-time home-ec teacher in the Ewing school district, is certainly no stranger to kids. While living in West Windsor, she has not only worked as a substitute teacher in the WW-P district, she has volunteered countless hours working with kids as well.
She has been involved in the recreational boards for Wildcats football and cheerleading; Lightning Lacrosse; Little League baseball and softball; and Wolverine wrestling. She is also a religious education teacher at St. David the King Church and runs the children’s liturgy program for younger children.
She has also been involved in the PTA/PTSAs at several district schools, is on the Scholarship Committee at South, and has worked on the Football Booster program for the past five years. The DeMilts picked Windsor Plaza because of its proximity to the kids.
“It is walking distance from South and still close enough to North for the kids to come at lunch. And it is also close to the train station, which is a big plus.” Linda explained.
“We originally wanted the spot where PJ’s Pancake House will be. That spot was supposed to be a coffee shop. Right after we signed the lease for our space, the coffee shop decided to back out. But that’s OK, because we are happy with our spot. We will share the outside tables, and we are close to the new park being built across the street. We didn’t even know about that when we signed our lease, but that is going to be a big plus for us.”
They are not worried about the other restaurants in the complex. “We think it’s a plus. They help draw people in, like a food court concept. People can choose what food they want. None of them are direct competitors because we all sell different food.”
Jake’s Wayback Burgers is known best for its, well, burgers. “But we sell many other items as well — signature shakes, Caesar and garden salads, turkey burgers, breaded and grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and 100 percent vegan burgers,” Linda said.
“And our food is good quality. Other than our French fries, onion rings, and chips, everything else is delivered fresh, twice a week. None of our meat is ever frozen. And all of our products are completely nut-free. That was very important to us. We are also looking for a quality supplier of gluten-free buns.
“And our shakes are famous because they are all hand-dipped. The kids are taught how to weigh the ice cream, which all have the same base of vanilla bean. Then the flavor is added in, and then the milk is added. None of it is processed ahead of time,” Linda added.
The menu stays the same for lunch and dinner, though the clientele changes. “We expected mostly kids, who are here during weekday lunch-times. On Saturdays and Sundays, it is families, especially in the mornings,” Linda added. The menu stays the same except for the burger and shake of the month. February’s specials: a Philly cheesesteak burger and black raspberry shake.
Other than Linda’s training as a home-ec teacher, no one in her family has any food establishment connections. But that will change. Their daughter, Gina, will begin working in the new family business as soon as she is old enough, to learn about the business and her future legacy.
Linda added that, “we moved to West Windsor from Manhattan when our son was two years old for the school system, and the type of life offered here. We asked our friend Nancy Kroll about the town and she said she loved it. And we love it too. That’s why I’ve been so involved over the years, and that’s why we wanted to build a legacy here. We are here for the long-term.”
