THE SPR E A D
Restaurant
W ELCOM E TO J. SA M’S With a little personal touch and some Southern hospitality, J. Sam Daniels creates the perfect space for Charlotteans to unwind and enjoy each other’s company words LIZA CARRASQUILLO photos KYO H. NAM Through his wide array of retail, bartending, and restaurant jobs, J. Sam Daniels had always found one consistent factor of work to be his absolute favorite: people. His love of people in all forms—interacting with, helping, serving—followed him from a childhood spent with customers between the aisles of his parents’ Hallmark shops to an adulthood spent searching for the best profession to foster that love. In March of 2013, Daniels ended that search.
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With the support of his wife, Tanya, he combined his retail experience with the joy he always felt in the food industry and opened his own restaurant, J. Sam’s. Determined to give his customers a great experience, Daniels has become a beloved hands-on owner that makes it a point to seek out what his staff and patrons need most. “It’s who I am,” says Daniels at the mention of his dedication. “I love to make people happy. It