Jessica Siegel Lehrer

By Peyton Harris, Contributing Writer

After growing up in her family’s restaurant business, Jessica Siegel Lehrer insisted her career would follow a different route.

She graduated from the University of South Florida in 2005 with a degree in psychology and criminology. Then she attended Cambridge University in England for her master’s degree in criminology. When she returned to the States, she worked as a police officer for the City of West Palm Beach. But something was still missing.

Fast forward to now; Jessica is a mother, wife—and yes, a restaurant owner.

“I missed being with my family,” she said. “I missed the experience of working together.”

Since 2007, Jessica has helped manage the family business, Adam & Joe’s Gourmet Eatery. In 2017, she became a partner in the restaurant that specializes in perfectly curated lunches.

Adam & Joe’s website features colorful wraps, bowls and sandwiches. One post encourages customers to “#eattherainbow.” Jessica began working in the catering side of the business before she became an owner. She has helped modernize the restaurant while maintaining its California-inspired core.

“We’ve always been quick to adapt with things that need to change, either with technology or the way we have to do logistics,” she said.

Talking to new people and exploring creativity are her favorite aspects of the job. “What I get to do every day is a little different, which is exciting,” she said. “There are always new things to create and new ideas.”

An average day for Jessica consists of taking her children to school, reviewing catering orders for the following day and organizing the catering team. “It could be a sandwich platter for 10. It could be box lunches for a thousand. It could be a burger bar for 500,” she said.

In 2003, during her junior year of college, Jessica became a founding member of Kappa Sigma Chapter (University of South Florida). Helping to establish a new chapter on the campus provided a great experience for her. “I know that if I reach out to any of my Zeta sisters, even if I haven’t talked to them in 15 years, they’ll take my call. I know they’ll respond,” she said. Her involvement in ZTA has continued after college. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida, and is a member of the Broward County Alumnae Chapter.

Throughout her time in the business, and her life in general, Jessica believes getting to know new people, or “lifelong learning” is the value she retains most as a member of ZTA. “What I carry most is really getting to know people who are different and learning how to connect on a real level with other people.”