Passing the torch: Longtime Hebron restaurant owners sell Clay's Cafe

After almost 25 years running Hebron's beloved Clay's Cafe, owners Mark and Glenna Jones will pass the torch to a former employee and family friend, and his partner, in the new year.

During an interview with The Advocate, Glenna Jones explained she and her husband decided they're ready for some young blood in the restaurant. In their retirement, she said Mark plans to focus his efforts on restoring an old car and she hopes to volunteer through Lifewise Academy and Heartbeats.

According to Glenna, the couple has been discussing selling Clay's Cafe for the past year, but had some concerns about changes to the restaurant with another potential new owner until they reached an agreement with soon-to-be owners Joshua Powell and Joseph Vericella. The couple emphasized there won't be changes to the staff, menu or even the restaurant's name.

"I just think this place has been part of the community for so long, to change it would be a dishonor to the restaurant itself and to the name of Clay's Cafe," Powell said.

Vericella added the customers aren't asking for change so to them, it was a no-brainer to keep it the same.

In the past near quarter-century, Clay's Cafe has served as a place of employment for over 1,000 area high school students, a catering company for brides and grooms to celebrate their big days, a place for families to gather for a meal and more. The building in that time has undergone two big remodels, including the addition of customer bathrooms and a new kitchen.

"Looking back, there's been many blessings throughout the years. The flood (in 2012) was a crazy time, but that turned out to be a big blessing," Glenna reflected. Flash flooding that hit the Hebron area in 2012 shut down the business for two weeks for cleaning and renovations. "All the customers, staff - that's what we'll miss."

For Mark, the most rewarding part has been working with the kids who they've employed, and helping them deal with things in their lives.

The Jones', who have been married 36 years, met in the building that became Clay's Cafe when Glenna worked for her parents, raised three children there including homeschooling them in the cafe. Now the fourth generation of their family has worked at the restaurant.

Powell, a Lakewood High School graduate, worked at Clay's Cafe as a student. He expressed gratitude for what he learned in that time, like strong work ethic. He noted that job paid for the saxophone he used throughout college.

As they take the reins, Powell said he and Vericella hope to find ways to give back to the community that gave them so much.

"The community loves this place and I want to find ways of giving back. And that's a lot of what I've tried to do in my life, like we rescue horses," he said, later adding he and Vericella are also foster parents. "We try to do anything we can to give back because I've gotten so much from Hebron growing up...I feel like now it's time for us to give back to the kids that were in my situation."

Vericella said they want to be able to have the same stories, to be able to impact kids' lives in the same ways and hear customers want to bring their relatives and kids to the restaurant.

"We want to keep the community loving this place. We want it 10 years from now to still be a place people love coming," Powell said.

In celebration of their retirement and as a way for the community to meet the new owners, the Jones', Vericella and Powell will host an open house at Clay's Cafe from 1 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 20. For more information, visit Clay's Cafe's Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Passing the torch: Longtime Hebron restaurant owners sell Clay's Cafe