When Jonathan Jones and Maura Ryan discussed opening their own restaurant, they knew they wanted to do things differently. They’d worked in the culinary field for years at that point and had seen the toll it could take on employees—so, as Jones recalls, the husband-and-wife team asked themselves a simple question: “Can we follow our own dreams?”
That meant creating a space where employees and customers alike would feel comfortable, safe, and provided for—a community space that fed the mind as much as the stomach. “If you have the ability to provide a space that is safe, inclusive, and educational, then I think you have a responsibility to do so,” Jones says.
In March 2019, they followed those dreams through and opened Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails in downtown Salem. The restaurant quickly drew acclaim for its creative takes on fine-dining favorites and wide range of comfort-food favorites, and Jones went on to earn two award nominations from the James Beard Foundation—establishing Epilogue as a force in Salem’s culinary scene.
Here’s how they did it, what the duo hopes to do differently, and what you’ll experience on your next visit.
A winding career path took Jones to the likes of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Madison, Wisconsin—where he’d see how hard the industry could be on workers. Even though Epilogue was still a decade from coming to fruition, the seeds were planted for Jones to create a new kind of experience for diners and employees alike.
Growing weary of Madison's long and arduous winters, the duo headed west and moved to the Willamette Valley in 2014. Soon after arriving in Salem, Jones worked at local institutions such as Taproot Lounge and Cafe, Cristom Vineyards, and Santiam Wine & Bistro; Ryan, meanwhile, worked at Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro. The duo also ran Prologue, a pop-up, mobile kitchen spotlighting the flavors of the Willamette Valley.
But they nevertheless dreamt of opening their own restaurant—and did so in March 2019.
Epilogue Kitchen & Cocktails opened in March 2019—and Jones instantly set about sharing his culinary journeys through an inventive food menu. Jones said that Epilogue's menu drew on his own upbringing and reflected what he likes to eat—all with an eye toward reaching diners at a variety of price points. "We're very intentional about making sure that there's something on the menu that covers a wide range of economic capability," he says. "We want this space to feel like anyone, no matter what they do, can come here."
The menu mixes some of the Amish, Irish, and Polish influences that Jones grew up with in southeast Pennsylvania—as well as subtle Southern infusions that he picked up from his father. That means diners can choose among smash burgers, crab cakes, pierogi, chicken and waffles, Philadelphia-inspired sandwiches, and more. "I'm sort of a sponge," Jones says. "The places I've lived, I've left pieces of my heart in—and as a sort of a trade-off, I've taken in pieces of those cultures that I grew to love."
Influenced by his time living in Madison, for instance, Jones throws the occasional walleye fish fry—which, he says, "is very, very Wisconsin." (That Wisconsin influence extends to the drink menu, where Miller Lite is a constant mainstay.)
This being the Willamette Valley, Jones tries to source his ingredients locally whenever possible. Pork chops are sourced from a farm in Carlton, other meats come from a farm just outside of Salem, and nearby Minto Island Growers provides some of Epilogue's produce.
The experience at Epilogue extends far beyond what shows up on diners' plates. Jones hopes to build a community that covers all corners of the restaurant—and extends beyond its walls altogether.
Jones, for instance, runs a free-soup program where Epilogue feeds 10 to 20 diners in need daily—no questions asked and no strings attached; Jones calls the program "one of the things that I'm most proud of."
Another of those programs launched in the midst of racial justice protests that erupted across the country throughout the summer of 2020. Jones, who is Black, recalls seeing a fundamental lack of understanding about civil rights leaders and racial justice movements throughout history. "That just made me realize, 'We can't have these conversations and move forward until people have the same understanding of what we're talking about,’" Jones says.
With public libraries closed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones sought to bridge those gaps in knowledge by launching what became the Library of Black Excellence—a lending library, based at Epilogue, that today totals more than 600 titles.
It doesn't cost anything to check out a book—and anyone who checks out five titles, brings them back, and chats briefly with a staff member about each is eligible to receive a free meal. Jones likens it to the long-running BOOK IT! Program, which encourages children to read and rewards them with free food at Pizza Hut. "I have always wanted to have a space where education—and furthering education—is a major point, "Jone says. "Whether that's active or passive, I think we do that."
Jones hopes to continue growing the program over the coming year and is excited to have an impact that lasts long after a customer finishes their meal. "We're trying to get them to read things that they wouldn't necessarily read—so to me, that's the most important part of what we're doing."
It's all a part of a relationship that Jones has—and continues to build—with diners and the community around them. "If you have a business in a community, then you've created a covenant with that community," Jones says. "And if they're to spend money with you, then you owe them something in return. And I don't think that that stops at the good that you provide."
