DWIGHT TODAY | ALUMNI PROFILE
IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY FOR RESTAURATEUR JALEENE RODRIGUEZ ’04
“Dwight introduced me to people of so many different cultures,” recalls Jaleene Rodriguez ’04, who joined Dwight in sixth grade after her family relocated to Manhattan from Rockland County. “The student body at my previous school was not diverse and coming to Dwight opened the door to meeting people from a host of different backgrounds. The experiences of getting to know, and communicating, with people from around the world has served me well in so many areas of life, including business.” Business is a family affair for Jaleene, who together with her sister, Jewelle ’06, co-own and operate a chain of Don Coqui restaurants, and represent the third Rodriguez generation in the restaurant business. Their grandfather, Jimmy Rodriguez, Sr., began by selling seafood from a pushcart in the Bronx before converting it to a storefront and then to a restaurant called Marisco del Caribe with his son, Jimmy Jr. Jimmy Jr. became a noted restaurateur and in the 1990s added Sofrito and several dining establishments criss-crossing Manhattan and the
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Bronx known as Jimmy’s, drawing a power clientele ranging from pro athletes to politicians. Don Coqui, like Sofrito, features Puerto Rican cuisine with family recipes on the menu. The restaurant, as billed on its website, “represents several generations of ‘Dons’ and ‘Doñas’ who have paved the way for us.” The Doñas of today, Jaleene and Jewelle, take turns working around the clock. Literally. Jaleene spearheads all the operations during the day — inventory, finances, HR, marketing, and reservations — to ensure that everything runs smoothly when Jewelle arrives for the evening rush. Jewelle oversees the back of house, food preparation, front of house, and all-important customer service. “Our father, who has been in the business for over 30 years, taught us that quality, consistency, and customer service are fundamental to success,” explains Jaleene. “He eats, sleeps, and dreams restaurants!” FAMILY TIES When Jimmy Jr. launched the first Don Coqui in New Rochelle in 2009, he called
upon his daughters to participate. They answered with a resounding yes and together, they opened more locations in White Plains, Upper Manhattan, and on City Island. With Jimmy Jr. as organizational director, the family business expanded further and now includes soul food establishments: Get Soul in New Rochelle, Uncle Al’s in the Bronx, and combined Latin and soul food at Sapitos in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx. “The restaurant business is in our blood,” Jaleene says, on behalf of both her siblings; in addition to Jewelle, their younger brother, Jimmy III, who attended Dwight, manages one of the Don Coqui spots. The sisters, who were honored by the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at its 2014 Women in Business Luncheon for their contributions to expanding business within the Hispanic community, attribute their success to Jimmy Jr. “Our father taught us everything he knows … not to repeat the same mistakes that he made and that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to,” Jaleene shares. “He provided all of us with a great blueprint.”