Sue’s Kitchen

Sue Williams had a problem. She operated the kitchen and dining room for Citizens Bank in downtown Jonesboro, and did catering jobs on the side. When her boss asked her to strictly focus on her job at the bank, she did what anyone would do.

She turned the catering business over to her 14-year-old son John Williams. He ran that business for several years and by the time he was 19, John opened a French-style restaurant. By 1984, the bank had closed their dining room on the seventh floor of the bank building and his mother opened a restaurant — Sue’s Kitchen.

Sue’s Kitchen was also located downtown. Everything, including its signature rolls is made from scratch. The restaurant became an iconic staple in Northeast Arkansas’ hub city. Sue ran it for many years and then turned the reins over to her son. She died from COVID on Christmas morning in 2020 at the age of 89.

“She was Jonesboro’s celebrity chef,” Williams said with a tear in his eye.

Sue’s Kitchen clientele included many celebrities and politicians. Bill and Hillary Clinton were frequent customers, and even actors like Vincent Price enjoyed a meal there. Often, when the Clintons came to town, Hillary Clinton would meet with Sue to determine what meal would be prepared for that trip.

Operating a restaurant in the current financial and labor climate can be a challenge, Williams said. Everything they make is homemade from their roast beef, chicken alfredo, corn beef cabbage, desserts, soups, salads and other offerings. His wife, Carrie, makes all the desserts.

That means it costs more to make and buy, he said. Sue’s signature rolls, alone, require 24 dozen eggs per week. Inflation has been an issue during the last year or so, he added.

“When our prices go up, we have to pass that along to the customer. We don’t want to, but we have to maintain our margins to stay in business. That’s just a reality,” he said.

Perhaps the biggest change in the industry since he began is staffing. It’s getting harder to find good workers, he said. He now has a staff of 12 and they are excellent, he said.

The day that Williams was interviewed by Talk Business & Politics, the seventh floor of the old Citizens Bank building was demolished by a crane. Williams reflected on it.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking. It’s kind of sad. Actually, it’s really sad,” Williams said.

Editor’s note: This company is a finalist for the Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards — Small Business category. Winners will be announced at a luncheon on April 15. Contact Rob Gutterridge at rgutterridge@nwabj.com for tickets.