Jonathan "Jon" Price

Co-Owner and General Manager

Jonathan has been in the restaurant business for over two decades. Having started working at a local diner in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana when he was only 16 years old, he fell in love with the service industry. Learning to love food and to cook properly from his mother and grandmother, that aspect of the industry came naturally to him. Since those early years, he worked for several chain restaurants and was able to learn from some of the leaders in the business. When JJ's was created he was able to take everything he learned over the years and apply it to the core of what the JJ's brand was to become, and what it is today. 

He is the father of five children and lives in Havelock, North Carolina with his wife and the rest of his family. One of the core values of the JJ's brand is family and this is because to him nothing is more important than family. 

James "Jim" Price

Co-Owner and Dad

Jim grew up in a true, southern home. Raised on great home cooking. His mom was big on comfort foods and it was always very satisfying. From that upbringing he learned to what southern hospitality was all about, and he wanted to do that as an adult. Feed people good food and seeing them leave satisfied, was what he desired. After a career serving in the United States Air Force, he knew what he needed to do. Both him and his wife, Jo, loved cooking together so opening a family restaurant was the only logical next step. After much debate and brainstorming, Jim Jo, his son, Jon, decided Havelock needed a good Texas BBQ place, an alternate to NC style BBQ. Their idea came after visiting Jo's brother in Texas. Lockhart is considered the BBQ capital of Texas. No trip was complete without making several runs to eat BBQ. On one trip Jim and Jo approached the owner of one of the oldest BBQ joints in Lockhart. She was given his basic rub recipe and a quick tour of how their brisket was prepared. With their own take on that rub,  a new homemade sauce, and family recipes for the side items from both Jim's mother and Jo's mom, JJ Texas BBQ was born. The Double J name comes from the fact that all their family consists of J names, thus the JJ (Pronounced Double J). Still to this day seeing people comforted and satisfied is Jim's biggest reward, and the reason he continues to work hands on in the restaurant.

Joanne "Jo" Price

Mom

Growing up in upstate NY, the town Jo lived in was very small. Her childhood was chock full of wonderful memories cooking with her mom. They didn’t have much money but her mother always prepared delicious meals. Later, her desire to strike out on her own brought her to the place where she met Jim, who had just joined the Air Force. This lifestyle gave them lots of opportunities to experiment with and try new foods from all over the world. She wanted to offer her family great food and fond memories around the table. Including her children in the food preparations was high on her priority list. As adults now with their own families, both her children enjoy cooking very much. In their travels all around the country and abroad, they met many wonderful friends, many of which shared the dinner table with the family. She collected many recipes from all areas of the country. On numerous trips visiting her brother in south Texas, he would take them to his favorite BBQ place. She knew that no one could get that kind of food around Havelock. So, when her, Jim, and their son first started talking about opening a restaurant, they quickly decided on Texas BBQ. They wanted bring that mouthwatering flavor to the area. From strictly all homemade family recipes the JJ's Menu was created. They still believe they've brought a true experience of Texas BBQ to Eastern NC.