Jack's Place Café Opens At Big Vanilla

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By John Singleton

Roll out the red yoga mat - Jack’s Place is opening its doors at the Big Vanilla Athletic Club. The café will honor longtime Big Vanilla employee and Pasadena resident Jack Lucas, who passed away suddenly last winter.

“Our family is very honored that Larry Ray and the Big Vanilla would honor my father, Jack Lucas, in this way,” said Lucas’ step-daughter Stephanie Barchanowicz, who resides in Pasadena. “Big Vanilla was like a second family to Jack.”

Jack Lucas, who died suddenly of a heart attack on January 15, 2011 was a longtime employee of Big Vanilla. To commemorate this beloved family man and well-respected member of the local community, Larry Ray, owner of Big Vanilla, decided to renovate and rename the eatery in the club’s lobby after Jack Lucas.

The in-house restaurant does more than reflect Jack Lucas’ name, it embodies his spirit. From the Big-V Club to the Power Parfait and that ubiquitous Greek yogurt, Jack’s Place pays homage to a man who had a talent for enjoying life and being happy.

“I had the pleasure of eating lunch with Jack almost every day in the months before he passed,” stated Tommy Pitts, Manager of Jack’s Place. “He loved to be around others and pass his infectious smile along. This restaurant is named Jack’s Place because we want it to become a meeting point for friends to enjoy not only great food, but life! Just like Jack did.”

The authenticity of Jack’s Place is reflected in more than the food. When country artists LoCash Cowboys played a concert at Cacnun Cantina on March 11, lead singer, Jack’s son Chris Lucas, presented Larry Ray with a guitar to hang on the wall in Jack’s Place.

“My father, being the happy man he was, is up there saying ‘Alright Now!’ He is looking down smiling on the Big V,” added Chris Lucas from his country music headquarters in Nashville. “I am honored to know my dad was loved so much by his friends and co-workers.”

The father-son bond runs deep at Jack’s Place. Manager Tommy Pitts, a Severn School graduate, attributes many of the items on the menu to his youth and to the culinary sensibilities of his very own father – Doug Pitts.

“Most of the items on the menu are glimpses of my youth. There are sandwiches that my parents made for years,” recalled Pitts who lives in Pasadena. “I have fond memories of sitting at our kitchen counter in Jacksonville, FL, watching my Dad put things like pepper jelly, cream cheese, turkey, and cucumbers together on a tortilla. This wrap changed my life. To this day it’s still one of my very favorites. You can find that very sandwich on the menu as Doug’s Wrap. These are the memories that stick with me more than anything.”

The word ‘father’ remains one of the most powerful and elusive in the English language. It seems only right that Jack’s Place is opening its doors during the month of June when Father’s Day is celebrated. For those who remember Jack Lucas, Jack’s Place at the Big Vanilla will remain a living memorial where those with a paternal hunger can find a home and be filled. Next time you’re in the area stop in and experience Jack’s Place.

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