Anyone can eat at home. That reality guides nearly every decision Matt and Ashley Turner make at Uncle Jack’s. When guests dine out, the owners believe the experience must deliver more: excellent food, attentive service, and a welcoming room where people want to return.
In Independence, Kansas, that promise begins with a place worth preserving. Uncle Jack’s opened in 2000 and changed hands several times before the Turners purchased it roughly three and a half years ago. They had been looking for a business in the town they love and found a local institution that needed renewed energy and care.
Its historic building offered a distinctive canvas, with a soaring two-story dining room capped by a tin ceiling. Music, an easygoing atmosphere, and a familiar service team made the space feel inviting, but restoring Uncle Jack’s required more than ambiance. The Turners set out to raise the standard across the food, drinks, and service, with one goal: to give every guest the best of everything.
BUILD CONSISTENCY INTO THE RECIPE
Matt and Ashley tested burger blends and patty methods, sampled pickle after pickle, and scrutinized everything from produce and proteins to breading and fry oil. The fried chicken captures that discipline: boneless breasts move through a multistep buttermilk process before being coated in a breading Ashely developed, then fried to order.
That attention extends across a completely revamped menu. The Turners wrote 140 recipes and compiled them into what the team calls the “Kitchen Bible.” It gives cooks a precise standard and helps the kitchen reproduce the intended result shift after shift. For operators, the lesson is simple: creativity gets an item onto the menu; documentation and training keep it there.
TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE EXECUTING IT
Recipes provide the framework, but the Turners are quick to credit the people who execute them. Familiar servers and a consistent kitchen team have become a competitive advantage. The owners connect retention to care: value employees, compensate them well, and recognize that the restaurant cannot work without them.
That listening culture extends to guests. Matt tries to greet nearly every table, showing that the owner truly cares while gathering direct feedback. Regulars have become friends with the team and one another, and their reactions help shape what Uncle Jack’s refines or introduces next. Rather than chasing trends alone, the Turners study industry ideas and ask guests what the restaurant could do differently or better.
CHOOSE PARTNERS WHO IMPROVE THE PROCESS
Sysco Sales Consultant Zack Cope is part of that development loop. The Turners run ideas by him, and he brings products and connects them with additional expertise. They have worked with a produce specialist and traveled to the Sysco test kitchen in Kansas City for tastings. A tempura-style stretched shrimp sourced with Cope’s help has become a strong performer, while proteins, produce, and other staples support the restaurant’s standards.
“We truly feel like we’re Zack’s only customer because he pays so much attention to us,” Matt says. “It feels more like Sysco is a partner than a vendor.” For chefs and operators, that distinction can translate into faster product discovery, better-informed menu testing, and more reliable execution.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, the Turners are considering an expansion of their existing location, growing Uncle Jack’s while keeping it firmly rooted in Independence. Their advice to aspiring operators is pragmatic: have more cash than you think you need, and love the work. That commitment is evident in every part of Uncle Jack’s: from the recipe book and prep hours to the people and partnerships behind every plate.
