Jack Burgers made a triumphant return to the Scotia riverside after some feared a summer tradition was washed up.
Last August, many Scotia residents flocked to an unfamiliar sight of the Jumpin’ Jack’s Drive-In almost fully submerged by floodwaters. On Thursday, March 29, community members flocked to the familiar smell of burgers searing on a grill and the sound of milk shakes being swirled.
The eatery opened on time as usual, signaling summer’s approach, but there was a deeper meaning behind the fanfare this year.
General Manager Mark Lansing Jr. recalled seeing Jumpin’ Jack’s after floodwaters threw picnic tables down the Mohawk River and garbage cans were pushed into the adjacent Collins Park.
Lansing, who is the son of the owner, said he had never seen floodwaters rise quite so high.
“It was incredible and devastating and scary, because this is my livelihood,” Lansing said as he held his two-and-a-half-year-old son, Parker, up against his chest. “When my dad decides to retire I plan to take it over.”
Lansing has worked at JJ’s for more than 20 years, starting at 16 years old, so losing the restaurant would be heartbreaking.
“It is pretty much all I have done,” Lansing said, “so I’d miss it, if we couldn’t reopen I would really miss it.”
He became emotional and appeared to be holding back tears as he talked about employees helping clean up after the flood and later help with repairs and renovations.
“Everybody put in a lot of hard work,” he said. “That crew is the reason we are open today.”
He said workers are like a family, with some coming back each year for seven to 10 years. Many worker, he said, are very loyal because they could probably get a less demanding job that pays more.
“Most places you don’t have that family-type feeling in a crew,” he said. “We bicker and squabble, we have our differences, but when it comes down to it we are family.”
Despite the needed repairs, he never had any doubt Jumpin’ Jack’s would reopen.
“There was never a doubt, it was just a matter of how much work it was going to take,” he said. “We are all used to being here 12 hours a day, 60 hours a week sometimes, so if it was going to take that much work in the off season to come back from it then that’s how it was going to be. … Today was always going to be the day that were going to reopen.”
During the first week of clean up, he said workers put in 800 man-hours, working 10- to 12-hour days. He said workers would leave sunburned, muddy and exhausted, but returned the following day.
County Legislator James Buhrmaster commended workers for restoring the restaurant.
“If you look back to those floods in Irene and saw the water within 6 inches of the top of this building, who could ever guess that Mark would have it back to where it is today,” Buhrmaster said. “This is one of the greatest stories here in Scotia-Glenville that we will ever see.”
County Legislator Cathy Gatta said coming to Jumpin’ Jack’s on opening day is a fond memory from her childhood.
“I’ve been a Glenville resident my whole life and just coming down here every year since being a kid on opening day really makes me happy that we are back here,” Gatta said. “Mark and his family pulled it through — life gave them lemons and he made Jack Burgers.”
On Wednesday, March 28, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the big news was passing the state budget on time, but Tedisco said he interjected.
“I said, ‘No governor, tomorrow, the big news is Jumpin’ Jack’s opens up,’” Tedisco said. “There is a lot of mass transit in downstate New York … but here in Scotia-Glenville what we say today is ‘subway.’”
Tedisco was referencing what all employees shout when they receive a tip from a customer. Within minutes of serving up food, “subway” was heard several times as customers showed their appreciation.
The first customer in line was Glenville resident Michael Vedder, who had waited to order a cheeseburger, onion rings and soda since 5:50 a.m.
“My parents took me and my father’s parents probably took him,” Vedder said. “This is my first opening day, first time (being) first in line.”
He said the restaurant being flooded and now reopening is what motivated him to get up early and wait in line.
“I had never done anything first … and I wanted to be first at something,” he said.
Being the first in line does have some additional perks, though.
“It is really neat feeling, I have been on Channel 6, 9, 13, 10 and I haven’t been arrested,” he joked. “I was getting bored and cold and whatever and then all the cameras started coming and I was like, yeah, this is damn well worth it.”
The people directly behind him in line were 12-year–old Scotia residents Lizzy Kenific and Erica Young, who arrived at 7:13 a.m. Both were playing hooky from school.
“We just wanted to be the first person in line,” Kenific said.
After the long wait, Kenific said she was ordering a hot dog and curly fries and Young said she was just getting some curly fries, or “twisters,” as they’re listed on the menu.
Lansing said he was excited to see people lined before the 11 a.m. opening, and the line only stretched longer and longer as the food was served.
“I think it is great … people line up like they are getting tickets for a concert … that means we have fans, it is not just customers,” Lansing said.
Before cutting a ribbon to celebrate the restaurant’s reopening, Lansing had five words to say: “Let’s cook some Jack Burgers.”
