JAMRZ Cafe: New owners add variety to burger eateryPhoto by Amy Denney

JAMRZ Cafe is the first restaurant that Jake and Marlene Ainsworth have owned.

New owners add variety to burger eatery

Since taking over ownership of the former In the Buns Burger Joint, Jake and Marlene Ainsworth have been on a 1 1/2–year journey to turn the business into a restaurant that fits their personality.

"We are approaching our restaurant with the same philosophy we use in our life: Create something really nice for yourself and find others that can enjoy what you have created with you," Jake said.

He said the burger joint has evolved from its former grungy look into a cozier restaurant the couple renamed JAMRZ Cafe with warmer paint colors, new booths and a stone tiled floor. Furthermore, the Ainsworths wanted their restaurant to serve more than just burgers.

"We kept what the previous owner had and added on to it," Jake said. "Every single item got retooled. We felt there wasn't enough variety, so that's why we went from a burger joint to a cafe."

Some of those new menu items include the couple's own recipe for chicken tortilla soup, which Marlene called a joint effort to tweak the recipe until it was perfect. When customers ask for a recommendation, she said she always suggests her favorite item, the fajita chicken sandwich ($4.24–$6.79), which comes with grilled chicken topped with grilled peppers, onions, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

They also added baked potatoes with toppings such as bacon crumbles, butter, sour cream and cheddar. The Jaked potato comes with double butter, cheese and bacon. Sloppy Joes and sloppy dogs, which are similar to a Sloppy Joe but on a hot dog, are other newer menu items.

"Sloppy dogs was something we used to make at the house all the time, and people said they were great," Jake said.

Despite no longer being just a burger establishment, the couple said customers still love the burgers. Customers have the option of choosing from seven different patty choices, such as portobello mushroom, tilapia and ground turkey, as well as a white, wheat or gluten-free bun, all for no additional charge. Fresh-cut fries or beer-battered onion rings round out the meals. For dessert, customers can choose from vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or peanut butter hand-dipped shakes and malts ($2.59–$3.59).

"We get a lot of compliments from our customers and have a lot of repeat customers," Marlene said. "Everybody has embraced the changes. ... The new look pulls in more families, and the word of mouth is awesome."

Future evolution

Jake and Marlene Ainsworth have been constantly changing and evolving the restaurant since becoming its owners 1 1/2 years ago. So far, they added booths, repainted and put in stone tile flooring. They even retooled every item on the menu and added on to it.

They are not done yet. After listening to many customers indicate how much they would love to drink a beer with their burgers, the couple plans to add beer to the menu in March. Jake said JAMRZ plans to have local favorites such as Shiner and Real Ale as well as Abita Purple Haze, Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada and Budweiser.

A history of Jake and Marlene and JAMRZ Cafe

Jake and Marlene Ainsworth moved to Austin in 1977 and managed several restaurants, including King Burger, Royal Burger, Gatti's Pizza, and Hamburgers by Gourmet. They got out of the restaurant business in 1990 before deciding they missed it. In 2009, the couple considered opening a pizza franchise where JAMRZ Cafe is located but that fell through, and the former owner of In the Buns Burger Joint later signed a lease for the space. In 2011, they bought In the Buns and renamed it.

The couple loves classic rock and hosts an event twice a month at their home studio called SaturJam with the family band, JAMR. At the restaurant, they play hand-picked classic rock hits over the sound system and plan to have live jam sessions, Jake said.