Name: Jin 28
Address: 28 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville
Phone/website: 630-848-1828; www.napervillejin28.com
Owner: Jin Chen, 48, of Chicago
Years in business: 16
What does your business do? “It’s lunch and dinner. Dine in. Carryout. Delivery,” Jin Chen said.
What are your hours? “Weekdays 11 to 9, Friday and Saturday 11 to 10, Sunday noon to 8:30.”
Why did you open this restaurant? “I worked in restaurants since I was 19 years old. All my life. I decided to open my own.”
Why Naperville? “I love the area. Nice community. Nice people.”
Is downtown good for business? “A lot of people walk in. It’s the heart of the city.”
What do you serve? “We have Chinese food, Thai food, Japanese food and sushi. … We try to serve all the people. It’s all Asian. … We have many dishes on the menu.”
What’s your favorite? “Since I’m Chinese, I like Chinese food more. I was born in China.”
When did you move here? “I was 19 (when I moved to America). My sister was here. Family. … I wanted to have a better life.
“I moved into Chinatown and I worked at the Chi Tung restaurant. I worked there and was promoted to head chef. I learned sushi, I learned Chinese, I learned Japanese, I learned everything.”
Is cooking a challenge? “Not so easy, not so hard. You need to focus.”
What about competition? “Well, we have our own style. We offer all three. If a family comes here, maybe you like Chinese and your wife likes sushi. A lot of places have only one thing. We have a combination. More choices.”
Why did you go that route? “I meet peoples’ needs…. Everyone has different favorites.”
What dishes are popular? “Orange chicken. Mongolian beef. Chicken fried rice. Sushi. The Thai curry dishes are popular.”
How many people work here? “Ten.”
When are you busiest? “Saturday and Sunday.”
Do you still find time to cook in the kitchen? “Sometimes. When they need me.”
Where do you find the food? “Near Chinatown. Convenient. I live there. Every day, I bring in fresh food. I drive over 100 miles a day.”
Are you here every day? “No, because I have two other locations.”
Where are they? “One is in Carol Stream. The other one is in Highwood. They are both called Jin 28.”
What does the name mean? “It’s my name and the (Naperville address) number. Make it simple.”
Do you like your job? “Yes, I enjoy it. I know what I work for and I like to make people happy, to help people get what they want.”
Is there anything you don’t like? “No. I enjoy it. I’m happy.”
Is it true you can order anything in a restaurant? “Basically, yes.”
Do you offer roast duck? “Not now. We used to have it.”
What is your secret to success? “Just do my best to make the customers happy.”
Do you have loyal customers? “Yes, we do. And we have some who are now like old friends. Sixteen years. If nobody likes you, you can’t survive.”
What does a customer say? “I think it’s wonderful,” Alicia Marek, 45, of Aurora, said when she stopped in for a carryout order. “I’m the store manager at Costello Jewelry across the street. A lot of people were upset when another Asian place came in next door. Jin’s is definitely the spot. I bought Chicken Almondine today. One of the guys I work with gets the sushi probably three times a week.”
Do you have any favorite stories? “There was a very old lady who came in. She said, ‘I’m hungry and I have no money.’ So, we provided her with a free meal. We try our best to help people. But in this area, that’s only happened once or twice in 16 years. In Chinatown, I see lots of homeless people who ask for money or ask for food.”
Do your children work here? “No. They’re in school. They are 14, 10 and 8 years old. A long way to go.”
What’s your advice for anyone starting a business? “First, be prepared. You have to be able to do something before you do it. Like me, I worked in restaurants for 10 years before I started my business. That prepared me in many ways. The ability to handle anything. If you don’t have experience, how can you handle it? … You know the right way. … I’ve been a chef. I’ve been a waiter, a delivery guy, a bartender. I learned everything and I can handle anything. … Sometimes, it’s not all for the money. Sometimes, it’s for the enjoyment.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
