Jay was born and raised in Athens, GA attending St. Joseph’s School and spending a lot of time at the Athens YMCA. He attended the University of North Georgia, where he earned a degree in Business while working full-time. Jay followed his work at Dolphin Dive Center and love of SCUBA diving to work for Seamester, an at-sea study abroad program, teaching marine science oceanography, sailing and diving. Throughout his travels, Jay spent time in the Caribbean, Pacific Northwest, the Northeast and sailed from Cape Town, South Africa to Antigua and up to Connecticut in the Spring of 2020.  Jay moved back to Athens in Sept 2020 to take over running his sister Marti’s restaurant, Marti’s at Midday, after she passed away. He felt moved to honor his sister’s wishes to keep the restaurant open and jumped right in, putting to use his business experience and his technology and social media skills to keep the restaurant going through the challenges of the pandemic.  Jay lives in the Historic Cobbham neighborhood with his girlfriend, Carmen. 

 

What do you love most about the work you do?

 

For me, right now the number one is carrying on Marti’s legacy.  Ultimately that’s what is most important to me.  Along with that I’ve always loved making people happy – like my sister did– and feeding people; my love language is through food. I love being able to just see how happy Marti’s at Midday makes people. So many people come in and we’re like, how’s your day going and they say, it’s not been great I’m not having the greatest day and I’m like well I hope this food makes it better, and every time they say oh yeah it will, Marti’s always makes me feel better!  So, just the fact that I could help cheer somebody up or make somebody’s day better from the food that we make and the recipes that Marti put together, that’s easily what I love the most.  

 

When you aren’t working, what are some things you love to do in and around Athens?

 

I love hiking, going to breweries and local restaurants, and going to see live music. Live music is a huge part of my life and something that I feel like is one of those things that I can do that gets my mind off of everything else.  Scuba diving is a love of mine. I was a scuba instructor for 10 years and although I haven’t made the time lately to do that,  I hope to soon.  So hiking, diving, being outdoors, and I recently got into yoga. I’ve been going to Shakti, which is great and walking distance to my house, so that has been good.  Also traveling and eating and trying new foods and new restaurants.  

 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

 

There are endless places I’d love to go but number one might be to go visit my brother Tom in Japan.  He lives there and has a natural farm there.  They grow a lot of their own stuff and have a little cafe there; so, being able to spend some time with him and see what he has built over there would be great.  He kind of just moved out there and built this farm out of nothing, didn’t have a ton when he got there, and ended up meeting his wife there.  I’d love to spend time there with them. 

 

If you could see any band, anywhere, who would it be and where?

 

Robert Johnson, an old Blues musician. That would be incredible!  I’m pretty into the blues. I think a lot of musicians have been heavily influenced by the blues and I think he would be my number one. I think he’s from Mississippi so maybe a hometown blues club where he’s from. Right now though – I’m most excited to see Family & Friends in January.

 

What advice would you give your younger self?

 

I have a lot of energy and like to get a lot of stuff done, so it would be to just slow down a little bit.  Slow down and enjoy the ride. Sometimes I’m quick to try to do things and I want to get more and more done but I think it’s important to take time to slow down and relax and it’s ok sometimes to be doing nothing.  

 

Do you have a favorite book, or a book you find yourself re-reading, or referencing or gifting?

 

Recently I gave someone The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy, by Jon Gordon. It is a real quick read and is just all about being positive and positive energy and having a positive mindset. Just thinking in a positive way can really change your life so much.  So that’s one I think about a lot.  But also Shoe Dog, the memoir by Phil Knight of Nike, that’s been an inspiring book I’ve read. Also The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, by Robert Iger, is a great book with lessons he’s learned as CEO.

 

Do you have a favorite movie or remember the first movie you saw in the movie theater?

 

First one that comes to my mind is The Goonies. I just love that movie.  It’s a classic.  

 

If you could put any message on a billboard, what would it be?

 

I think it might be the same as advice to my younger self: slow down. Not just slow down when you’re driving but just slow down in life and take time to enjoy everything.  Life goes by too quickly, it’s really pretty short actually.  Enjoy it.

 

If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where?

 

Jacques Cousteau. I’d love to hear the stories of him first getting into diving and I don’t know just hear what he has to say about his life and what he’s seen, the places he’s traveled to. Maybe we’d eat on one of his boats, one of the vessels he used to explore. I think that would be neat to just go have lunch and spend the day riding around with him and checking out different places. 

 

What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word home?

 

Community is a big one.  I was asked recently in an article for the Banner Herald, on the anniversary of Marti’s opening, what was one thing I’d take away from being back in Athens and I said community.  So community, family and special, like being a special place.