Bonnie Jean's Owner Coming Into Her Own at Former Country Corner Café

Jenni Morris took over the new location of the Country Corner Café — which had existed for over a decade as a popular breakfast and lunch joint on the corner of Route 25 and Boisseau Avenue in Southold before moving down the street — in November of 2010, adding a full dinner menu and a comfortable yet thought-provoking vibe to the restaurant.

The young restaurateur, who had managed the Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck for three years, is always changing quotes on chalkboards that line the walls of the dining room to inspire people as they dine alone or with friends. She redesigned the upstairs loft from a semi-furnished space for private parties into a comfortable nook for those looking to work on their laptops or have a private meeting.

And she changed the name from the Country Corner Café to Bonnie Jean’s to honor her older sister, who is developmentally disabled but has always had a great spirit. The restaurant has slowly developed a new following in addition to the diehard Southold clientele and has received quite a few good reviews, most recently in Dan’s Papers Best of the Best for 2012.

Patch chatted with Morris — a 29-year-old Shirley resident who was educated at the Institute of Culinary Education and also runs Long Island Coffee Roasters with her boyfriend, Greg Heinz — about her first venture into restaurant ownership.

Patch: Tell me about your transition from the Love Lane Kitchen to Bonnie Jean's.

Morris: I was with Mike Avella [Love Lane Kitchen’s founder] since its inception in 2007, when we went from wondering if people would walk into the door to wondering when they would stop. I’ve always worked in restaurants, and I met Mike when I was working at Dockers in East Quogue. When Love Lane came up, he asked me to work with him, and I kept saying no — I’d only been to the North Fork once in a limo to a winery. I didn’t know a thing about the North Fork, but what struck me the most is how kind and genuine people are — it’s night and day from the South Fork.

Ultimately, I was just ready to go out on my own, try my own venture. I was looking around for a while when this opportunity came up, and when I walked in I just felt like I really needed to be here. Now, Carolyn [Iannone, who now runs Love Lane Kitchen] and I trade classes – we’ll teach her crew barista and she’ll teach my crew about beer and wine.

Patch: What sorts of changes have you made to the place?

Morris: We do breakfast, lunch, and dinner here — and dinner is something that was never really developed here. So we’re trying nightly specials, and we have the Sunnyland Jazz Band play on Thursdays, and people love it. The restaurant is definitely evolving. We have improved the coffee, incorporating our coffee business, and we plan to open a great little coffee shop next door. But really, I let the community make the decisions. I talk to guests as much as I can — I treat it like an open forum. Because this really is the place to meet and greet. I love seeing family and friends run into each other here.

Patch: Are you seeing a clientele from outside of Southold come in?

Morris: At first it was just locals, but now I’m seeing some familiar faces from Love Lane, people from Greenport are coming here, and occasionally people will tell me they drove from Shelter Island or the South Fork just to come here, which is great. I’ve been very low-key about advertising. I felt I had to be strategic and careful about what I did here, taking over a place from 13 years as the Country Corner. People initially don’t like change, so I started with the little things. Dinner was an easy thing to focus on, and I brought in more fresh ingredients to improve the menu overall.

Also, everyone gets a little quote on their checks when they leave, and I love changing the quotes on the walls. It turned out to be one of the silliest yet rewarding things I decided to do. It provides an emotional connection and it’s just good to keep the positive stuff out there.

Patch: Why did you name the place after your sister?

Morris: Bonnie Jean is 31, she’s mentally retarded and has lived in a group home since she was 12. I had a million things in mind but it just made sense to name it after her. She’s taught me so much over the years — patience and to appreciate the freedom, joy and tough times I have that she does not. She’s limited, like a little kid, so I wanted to create a place that is honest, simple and fun.

Bonnie Jean’s is located at 55765 Route 25 in Southold. Call 631-765-6766 or go to www.bonniejeansnofo.com.

Don’t feel like cooking for Thanksgiving next Thursday? Bonnie Jean’s is catering family style, with full meals ready to go — all you have to do is re-heat and serve. Call 631-765-6766 for more information.