Jo-Jo’s Pizzeria now has three locations Continued from page 34
A new kitchen was set up to produce these new foods, which are all homemade using the freshest ingredients. It’s the same philosophy which has applied to Jo-Jo’s Pizzeria over the years. But this was not all. Jo-Jo’s now offers a wider variety of pizzas than ever before because that is what customers are seeking. For instance, Jo-Jo’s offers gluten free and whole wheat pizza. The expansion also included adding tables and chairs for eatin customers and also renovating the upstairs into a large party room that can seat up to 60 people. This is where the sports teams have their pizza parties but also is a place where birthday parties and other gatherings can be held. This expansion also saw Jo-Jo’s add a parking lot on the north side of the building. This makes it more convenient for customers, including those who are picking up their food, who will be eating on the premises or who will be upstairs in the party room. It also makes it more convenient for Jo-Jo’s delivery drivers who can now pull around to the rear of the building to load up the pizzas for delivery. In pre-parking lot days, customers and delivery vehicles would park along the street, with the drivers crossing the road to get to Jo-Jo’s. Jo-Jo’s has not only expanded in recent years at its Stittsville Main Street location but it has also opened a second location in the Walmart shopping area at the corner of Fernbank Road and
Terry Fox Drive. It offers the same quality pizza, subs and more that Jo-Jo’s has become known for over the years. With the Kassis family members on site, Jo-Jo’s Fernbank offers the same delicious food and friendly customer service that are in line with the Jo-Jo’s tradition. Indeed, this new location on Fernbank Road features a modern design and an open concept kitchen so that customers can see how their food is being prepared. Again, it’s like the youngster standing on the chair at the Stittsville Main Street location to see how the pizza is produced – people are interested in how pizza is made! And Jo-Jo’s has not stopped at two locations. Jo-Jo’s has just opened another location at 4048 Carling Avenue in Kanata North. This third location includes a cutting-edge modern design that customers are sure to love. Another change brought by the second generation of the Kassis family includes the introduction of Jo-Jo’s pizza boxes. Up until then, plain white pizza boxes were used, just like any other pizza business. But Jo-Jo’s switched to green and red coloured boxes with JoJo’s printed on them – they are distinctive. Indeed, Rebecca jokes that you can now go along a street on garbage day and see who gets their pizzas from Jo-Jo’s just by the used boxes placed in their recycling bin. Jo-Jo’s has many customers who pick up their pizzas. Their eat-in portion of the business is growing, but there’s still lots of deliveries done. Jo-Jo’s delivers not only in Stittsville but to Richmond, Munster, Kanata, Bells Corners and elsewhere. Jo-Jo’s is seeing an increasing number of lunchtime deliveries as well, particularly to workplaces. Jo-Jo’s has the same two pizza ovens that it has had over the years but it added two more as the business has grown. With four ovens, Jo-Jo’s can cook 24 large pizzas at one time. And during the busy times on Friday and Saturday evenings, all four ovens are going full out. Jo-Jo’s Fernbank was opened with four ovens, so it has plenty of capacity to meet the ever-growing demand that it is experiencing. Rebecca says that it was never a sure thing that Jo-Jo’s would be continued with she and her siblings running the business. She points out that her brother is a Chartered Accountant and one of her sisters is a hairdresser. One thing is sure SUBMITTED that they all love working together Members of the Kassis family who are now running Jo-Jo’s Pizzeria are, in a family business and, more imfront row, from left, Natasha Rohani, Rebecca Kassis with young Oliver portantly perhaps, they love the Reid and Lacey Kassis, and, back row, from left, Fatina Reid, Ricardo pizza business. Reid, Zeyad Kassis and Texson Green. See TREATING, page 36 She points out that 2016 has seen an even greater focus on this. In 2016, Jo-Jo’s has been offering giveaways and contests every week on Facebook. So, following Jo-Jo’s on Facebook would be a good idea if you want to take advantage of winning a tasty meal for your family! There have also been other initiatives happening this year, such as Jo-Jo’s first-ever pizza making instruction session in its upstairs party room. This program is not only fun for the whole family, but gives back to the community with 100 percent of its proceeds going to charities. The response to this initiative when announced on Facebook was so great that JoJo’s decided to hold more of these sessions. Even City of Ottawa Stittsville ward councilor Shad Qadri was in attendance at the initial one to show his support. One of these pizza making days was held on Sunday, July 3. There’s a lot of interest, it seems, in learning how to make pizza. And this should come as no surprise. At Jo-Jo’s, it is not unusual to have a youngster standing on a chair to see over the counter and watch how the pizza is being made. When Rebecca and her siblings took over the business from their father in 2012, they expanded and renovated the Stittsville Main Street premises. In addition, they expanded the menu, adding Lebanese foods and shawarma, all made with the same attention to freshness and care as the pizzas.
Mayor’s Report OTTAWA WELCOMES YOUNG TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR ONE YOUNG WORLD SUMMIT By: Mayor Jim Watson
Last fall, I had the pleasure of attending the One Young World Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, where I received the Summit’s “baton”from the Governor of the Bangkok’s Metropolitan Authority, confirming Ottawa as host of One Young World 2016. The baton is proudly displayed at City Hall, until it is time for me to relay it to the 2017 host city. The One Young World Summit is the largest gathering of nations behind the Summer Olympic Games, designed to bring together young people from across the globe to create lasting, meaningful relationships that empower them to create positive change at home and abroad. Since its inception in 2009, One Young World has hosted 7,300 delegates between the ages of 18 and 30, with a further 1,300 expected from 196 countries for the 2016 Summit in Ottawa. The annual One Young World Summit brings together the most valuable young talent from global and national companies, NGOs, universities and other forward-thinking organisations. Delegates to the Summit network with peers from across all spectrums of private industry, the public sector and our world. They will debate, formulate and share innovative solutions for the pressing issues the world faces. No youth led movement outside of the Olympic Games represents as many nationalities as the One Young World Summit. As an innovative, vibrant and welcoming city, I am proud to greet these young future leaders to our Nation’s Capital this fall. While in Ottawa, they will also have the opportunity to hear and be heard by talented Counsellors, such as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Sir Bob Geldof, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chef Jamie Oliver and Cher, who will attend the Summit in order to mentor these talented youth. Hopeful delegates from around the world - and Ottawa of course – can still apply to attend by submitting an online application: www.oneyoungworld.com/attend-summit-2016.
“Mayor Watson receives the summit’s “baton” from the Governor of the Bangkok’s Metropolitan Authority, confirming Ottawa as host of One Young World 2016.”
Jim Watson, Mayor
110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1P 1J1 Tel: 613-580-2496 • Fax: 613-580-2509
www.JimWatsonOttawa.ca Stittsville News - Thursday, August 18, 2016 35