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JAMROCK Celebrates Grand Opening

Posted

JAMROCK, McKenzie’s newest eating establishment, celebrated its ribbon cutting and grand opening Friday, June 3. After the ribbon cutting, attendees enjoyed the restaurant’s authentic Jamaican and Puerto Rican cuisine.

JAMROCK is the result of four friends who were united by Bethel University. Owners Tashana Brown, Karlene Brown, Andrew Orta, and Dr. Michell Zala met at Bethel University.

Tashana and Karlene grew up in St. Catherine, Jamaica, and played high school soccer together. Bethel coach Misty Aird recruited the two women to play collegiate soccer at Bethel University. There, they met Michell Zala, a woman from Zimbabwe who was recruited to play tennis at Bethel College. The three women were in Bethel College’s class of 2007.

Karlene Brown is a Special Education teacher at McKenzie Middle School and the head coach of McKenzie High School’s Rebel and Lady Rebel soccer teams.

Dr. Michell Zala is a pharmacist and a Chief Operating Officer for Good Shepherd Health. She resides in Memphis.

Tashana Brown became acquainted with Andrew Orta while working at Bethel University. Tashana is the Director of Housing at Bethel and works with the Bethel University soccer teams. Andrew is from Puerto Rico and grew up in New York. He is Bethel University’s Director of Maintenance.

The four became friends who shared a common goal. They noticed there were not many diverse food options in McKenzie and wanted to bring authentic Jamaican and Puerto Rican food to the area. Together, they decided on menu items and named their restaurant “JAMROCK,” a nickname for Jamaica.

The restaurant held a soft opening April 16, initially having a rotating menu. Following the grand opening, each day of the week will have slightly different menus. They will occasionally serve specials, Tashana informed.

At this time, JAMROCK can serve up to 65 guests in its dining area. There are televisions in the dining area, which will show anything from sports games to movies. Seating includes booth seats, seats at the bar, and chairs. The dining area includes a back room with a pool table.

The owners hope to eventually expand the restaurant by adding a full bar and offering karaoke as entertainment for guests. They will soon open the back room to the public for private events.

At the ribbon-cutting, Mayor Jill Holland expressed how delighted the City of McKenzie is to have JAMROCK. “No one around here knows much about what Jamaican or Puerto Rican food is, but we’re about to find out,” she said. On behalf of the City of McKenzie, Mayor Holland said she was glad to accommodate if the owners needed anything. Landlord Greg Blackburn echoed the offer.

JAMROCK is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. They serve dine-in and carry-out orders.