Couple's dream honors father's legacy at Moxham cafe

Randy Griffith, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Jul. 1—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — When Jauwrah Pugh's father, Jerome Adams, found his health was failing, he moved from New York City to be close to his brother in Johnstown for daily help.

He fell in love with the local community and encouraged his daughter to move here with her family.

"He said it was better than New York," Pugh said.

She and her husband, Mustafa Pugh, came to Johnstown with their three children in 2018, moving from Far Rockaway, New York, to a Cypress Avenue home. Adams' home also was in Moxham.

An experienced cook, Mustafa Pugh worked as a chef at Asiago's Tuscan Italian Restaurant atop the Johnstown Inclined Plane. Jauwrah Pugh worked for Breezeline, formerly Atlantic Broadband.

Adams died in 2019, but, by then, the Pughs had also adopted Johnstown as their home.

"He was right. It's a good place to raise kids," Jauwrah Pugh said. "There's not as much drama. The town goes to sleep at night. The whole town. That never happens in New York."

The couple's children, ages 9, 11 and 18, had also melded into the community, making new friends who gravitate to the Pughs' home.

"I'm not just a mother to my kids," she said. "Their friends are always around."

She follows the mantra made famous by Hillary Clinton: "It takes a village to raise a child."

Since they were going to remain in the city, the couple decided to follow their dream and go into business for themselves. Jauwrah Pugh had an interest in real estate, and Mustafa Pugh always wanted his own restaurant.

In a fortuitous turn of events, her father's favorite spot became available. Adams was known to frequent the former Village Street Cafe at 603 Grove Ave. in Moxham.

In February, the couple opened Jada's Jazz Cafe, naming the business in honor of Adams' Islam name, Shaykh Jada.

The business' website (www.jadasjazzcafe.com) invites diners to satisfy "soul food cravings with a touch of pizzazz."

An eclectic menu includes curry chicken, oxtail and pepper steak platters.

For breakfast, there are items with shrimp, fish, waffles and grits, along with the usual eggs and sausage.