JC’s was started in 1999 and is named after the founder – Jay Cockerell (“JC”). Jay was an extraordinary cook and had been told by everyone he had cooked for, “you should start your own restaurant!” He always thought there was a void in the burger market, so he decided to create a “real” old fashioned burger. His secret seasonings and his special grind of fresh USDA Choice Chuck were tested by many. He worked for months before opening JC’s, perfecting the unique flavor, which many now call the “JC’s Fix”.
The original JC’s in Plano is located in an interior corner of an older strip center. Without much exposure or advertising, this little “hole in the wall” grew by word of mouth. Unless you had heard about JC’s from a friend, you would not have known of its existence. Within six months of opening in 1999, it became “standing room only”. This made it hard sometimes to keep up with the demand. Rather than purchase his hamburger meat from a local butcher, Jay began to fresh grind and hand form each and every JC Burger. That practice is continued today, and as we say “The Proof is in the Patty!” The cooks take balls of fresh USDA Choice Chuck (ground at JC’s that day), plop it on the grill and flatten it out with their spatulas.
Jay always said he wanted his customers to know what they were getting; “We have the best meat around, we want everyone to see it, and see it prepared. We have nothing to hide. I might run a closed kitchen if we were serving frozen or pre-formed patties off a truck.”
Due to ongoing popularity, JC’s was primed for growth, so in 2003 JC’s in Allen became the second location. Since then, JC’s has grown by licensing select partners to own and operate their own JC’s Burger House, most of whom are avid longtime customers. Jay agreed to expand in this manner but required that the partners be “owner/operators” as Jay and Sondra were.
You can now enjoy JC’s in Addison, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Richardson & Prosper