Proprietors – Nicole Guarino Houser & Shay Houser
Nicole is a Greenville, SC native and Graduate of Furman University. Raised in Greenville restaurants her entire life, her parents owned an Italian restaurant, Capris, a casual fine dining restaurant, CC Featherstones and Nicole left the College of Charleston in 1991 to open Frank’s Sports Bar with her father. Frank’s (her dad’s name) is where her father trained her on all aspects of the restaurant business. She learned everything from menu planning, restaurant design, ordering of all equipment and fixtures to help start the restaurant. When the doors opened she washed dishes, work every staion of the kitchen, was a server, bartender and eventually managed the restaurant for 3 years while finishing school at Furman. After graduation, Nicole married Shay Houser, a well known entrepreneur of the telecommunications industry. Shay is a graduate of The Citadel. Along with his father and brother, Shay started several long distance companies, a computer security company, and venture capital funds. They have 3 children, Keaton 17, Davis, 11 and Sophie 8. In 2002 Shay purchased a phone systems company, UCI Communications which is located all along the Gulf Coast from LA to FL. Shay’s parents are the previous owners of Moore Brother’s Fresh Market, LLC including Jesse’s restaurant. After his dad, Charlie Houser, took on the task of incorporating the town of Magnolia Springs and becoming it’s first ever Mayor, he sold the business in May of 2008 to Shay and Nicole. The Houser’s reside in Fairhope where there kids attend Bayside Academy and spend the weekends with their parents in Magnolia Springs.
Chef - Gannon Leary
Wife, Robin Leary and 2 daughters under the age of 2, Abigail and Camille. The Leary’s reside in Mobile and Robin works as an Optician. Gannon was raisewd on the Mississipi Gulf Coast and moved to Mobile in 2001. His formal training started at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. He branched out next and moved to Beaver Creek, Colorado where he was a Chef at Splendido Resort. The Gulf Coast called him home where he was Executive Chef at Heron Lakes Country Club. Locals know Gannon’s delicious food mostly from his years as the Executive Chef at The Colony Grill in downtown Fairhope where he worked until they closed the doors. We are blessed to have him as an integral part of our team/family at Jesse’s. He has taken our food and menu leaps and bounds above where it has ever been. Unlike many chef’s, Gannon is a people person. He is often in the dinning room greeting and chatting up guests.
General Manager - Garner Denmark
Garner is Gulf Coast born and bred. Many of our guest recognize Garner from his years of service in the Food & Beverage industry. He was Executive Chef at Stars, Managed at Mangoes, Bayside Grill and The Tin Top. As Nicole’s right hand man, Garner handles all front of the house operations, in house catering, and works hand in hand with Chef Gannon to make sure your dining experience is pristine. You will always find him roaming the dining rooms on week and weekend nights greeting guests and helping out the service staff. Look for him when you are here and he gladly welcomes all customer feedback.
Day Chef – Leigh Ownes
Leigh is one of the longest standing employees of Jesse’s. She has been wowing our lunch customers for over 12 years. Prior to Jesse’s Leigh was the Bakery Manager at Winn Dixie in Foley and worked the deli at Delchamps. Around Jesse’s she is known as Miss Leigh or Mama Leigh. One of our lunch crowds favorites is Leigh’s Spider Omelette which is thick and fluffy like no other and stuffed with a fried soft shelled crab. Leigh lives in Foley with her husband Archie. She represents the heart and soul and family atmosphere of Jesse’s.
Bakery Manager – Jennifer Haffner
If you know Jennifer, you know her passion is baking. She was raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Throughout her college career she lived in Berkley, CA, Santa Barbara, CA, Gunnison, CO, New Orleans, LA, Boulder, CO where she was exposed to many different culinary experiences. Working in many coffee shops and bakeries across the US. She has taken baking classes at the San Francisco Baking Institute and the King Arthur Education Center in VT. After living in Waverly, AL, she and her husband Jason and their two beautiful girls, Maddy and Ella moved to Magnolia Springs. Jason is well known around town as a master wood craftsman. He built their house in Magnolia Springs while Jennifer raised their babies and delivered fresh baked goods to people of the community. She got them hooked early!!
