Justin Thompson Restaurants’ mission is to serve to the delight of our guests, staff, and community by consistently providing exceptional cuisine, extraordinary service and exceeding the expectations of our staff, patrons and supporters.
At Justin Thompson Restaurants, we believe in the words of Gandhi, when he said, “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”, or as Einstein said it, “only a life lived in the service of others is worth living”. The belief that working to better those around you is paramount to the success of the company and at the heart of each and every decision made by Justin and his management team. Each person within the company works in the service of others. Justin works to support and take care of the company management team, while they in turn take care of the general managers and chefs so they can focus on taking care of the staff. When each level of team member’s concerns and needs are met by those supporting them, every team member is confident in their ability to take care of and provide exceptional hospitality to our guests, our friends, and our community.
History
Formation of the Justin Thompson Restaurant Group began with the opening of Juniper in October 2011 and solidified as an entity providing management, bookkeeping, payroll, training, and overall operational necessity in the spring of 2014. The group currently operates Juniper, Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse, Farrell Bread & Bakery, Justin Thompson Catering, Freya: Nordic Kitchen, and its latest creation, Isla’s Kitchen.
The group specializes in hospitality, training, and community involvement, including fundraisers and non-profit support in the Tulsa area. Each year, Justin Thompson Restaurants contributes to more than 50 different non-profit organizations in support of their fundraising concerns.
In addition, Justin sits on two non-profit boards and two non-profit committees. With a team of nearly one hundred, the Justin Thompson Restaurant Group is poised for growth in the industry and expects to welcome up to four new locations and concepts in the coming few years.
About Justin Thompson
Justin Thompson is the Proprietor Chef of the Justin Thompson Restaurant Group and Author of Trial & Error: Recipes and Lessons Learned by a Chef & Restaurateur. The Justin Thompson Restaurant Group was founded in 2011 with the opening of Juniper Restaurant, a locally sourced, chef driven farm-to-table concept in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. Within the following three years, the group expanded to add PRHYME: Downtown Steakhouse, an upscale modern steakhouse, Tavolo, An Italian Bistro, and 624 Catering and Events.
With a focus on quality products, exceptional service and excellent cuisine, Justin and his company quickly developed a knack for creating problem solving procedures, training, and creative menu options for itself and others, by way of consulting. In May of 2017, Justin added his first full time management and consulting client in MixCo Bar across from the BOK Center downtown. Later, in 2018, Justin worked with Evan and Valerie Wei-Haas in the creation of his first cookbook, Trial & Error. Finishing out 2018, Justin purchased Farrell Family Bread, a local bakery started in 1999 with nearly a hundred wholesale clients across Oklahoma City, Tulsa and the surrounding area.
Before founding the Justin Thompson Restaurant Group, Justin opened and operated several local restaurant favorites in Tulsa, including Ciao, Baby!, Osage Restaurant at Gilcrease Museum, The Brasserie Restaurant & Bar, Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar, & Duke’s Southern Kitchen. Throughout his career, Justin has been named best chef in Tulsa by Oklahoma Magazine, Tulsa Voice, Tulsa People Magazine, & Urban Tulsa Magazine. He has received numerous awards and recognition from the Chaine des Rotisseurs, has been featured in Saveur Magazine and served as guest chef at the James Beard House in New York City.
Justin is also involved in numerous charities in Tulsa, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Child Abuse Network, and as Co-Chair of their Donor Relations Committee. Justin and his restaurant group have contributed to over one hundred different charities in Tulsa since 2011, including the United Way, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Youth Services of Tulsa, Family & Children’s Services, Iron Gate Ministries, Catholic Charities, Philbrook Museum, Tulsa Ballet and many more.