Jeans Beans
{This article is a complete mess and needs to be properly written and researched}
Thanks for your story [on the restaurant]. Here's the whole lowdow:
Jean's Beans started in Syracuse in the mid 20's. After WW2 a lot of veterans were attending Syracuse U. on the GI Bill (my father included), and several of them worked at the old Jean's Beans on Fayette St. In an attempt to market Jeans Potato Chips several "franchises " were offered and my father opened one in Watertown, Elmira, Carthage and Ogdensburg. Carthage and Ogdensburg were not totally successful and closed after a few years. He sold Elmira in 1957 and concentrated on Watertown.
At one time there were about 25 stores in NYS and 1 in New Jersey. My father died in 1997 at age 71 having never retired. They are all gone now except Watertown which is now run by my nephew. I retired from the family business in 2000. My mother at age 81 still works occasionally. It was a wonderful business and I made many wonderful friends during my 28 yr. tenure. Incidentally my mother and father met when he hired her back in 1953. My father was a native of Hopkinton, NY and served in the Navy and my mother was born at Clayton.
Neil Fuller
Clayton
- The original post, below, had some way-off-the-mark information. Above is the TRUE story of Jean's Beans in Watertown from the son of the founders who also worked at the store:
Neil and Hilda Fuller started Jean's Beans on Eastern Boulevard in 1953; Hilda still works in the store along with seven or eight other family members.
This bakery is half way through it's sixth decade. Jean's Beans' staff makes take-out foods ranging from fresh doughnuts and baked goods, sandwiches, lunch specials, seafood, dinner platters, salads, puddings and desserts from single servings to party-size platters, and features a Friday fish fry featuring it's fried haddock.
Jean was a French or French-Canadian chef from whom the Fullers got their original baked beans recipe.