DRAFFENVILLE – A local restaurant will soon get new life after being sold in an absolute auction on Tuesday. The Draffenville facility has been home to four different eateries thus far over the past decade including Antlers, Lillie Brocks, Taylor’s and Cactus Jacks, none of which have found lasting success – despite the building’s grandeur and desirable location.
However, the new owners of the 4,400 square feet log cabin style restaurant, Janssen Northington and Jay Riley say they are hopeful they can breathe new life into the business as they plan to open an upscale, family friendly steakhouse called ‘J’s.’
The two, who are partnering on the project, say they saw the restaurant coming up for auction and hoped they would have the opportunity to “sweep it off its feet.”
Northington, who is the owner of Choppers Salon in Benton and Southern Roots clothing salon in Paducah maintains she is not going to back away from her other businesses, saying she intends on working with the staff of J’s to help oversee operations and assist in marketing.
Riley also has multiple investments and owns several businesses including a restaurant franchise known as the Tilted Kilt – one of which is located in Phoenix, AZ. Riley also owns restaurant franchise rights in Kentucky and Tennessee. “I have been in the restaurant business for three years now,” Riley said of his confidence in being able to make this new venture a success adding he thinks the community will embrace the concept.
In addition to featuring steaks, Riley says J’s Steakhouse will offer a seafood buffet on the weekends and will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“In case you have never tried, it’s really hard to find breakfast anywhere locally on a Sunday morning,” Riley said of their plans to offer home-style “down home” cooking seven days a week.
While many of the plans for the new venture are already firmly set, one element is still in the works and will depend on how the vote for alcohol sales turns out in July.
Riley and Northington say they plan to open an outdoor patio area and sports section of the facility no matter the outcome of the special election, however, they say remodel plans will include appropriate facilities should the county vote in favor of alcohol sales.
The two have hired an experienced cook and say they already have managers and other vital staff members identified. “That’s the key to this being a success – having good people,” Northington said adding, “and we have good people.
“We have even brought on Mrs. Lacey’s daughter Laura (the former cook for Lacey’s restaurant in Benton) and will be using her expertise as well as some of my favorite recipes,” she said.
Many of Northington’s friends and family have, for some time, asked when she was going to make the move into the restaurant business as her love for cooking and passion for sharing her talents with others has taken a more predominant role in her life. 
It looks like Northington is ready to make a leap of faith and embark on this new venture along with Riley – both saying they feel confident the new business will offer something not otherwise available in the county.
J’s Steakhouse is set to employ roughly 30 people, both full and part time with an opening date of September set if everything goes according to schedule.