Benefit dinner gives restaurateur Mark Jones a chance to say thank you to Columbus

Columbus restaurateur Mark Jones, five months after being paralyzed in an automobile crash, received a warm and emotional embrace Sunday night when he spoke at a benefit dinner for a Georgia-based nonprofit that assists food service workers in life-altering situations.

It was the perfect setting for Jones to say thank you to friends, colleagues and fellow restaurant workers.

Sitting in his motorized wheelchair, Jones talked for 5 minutes to the more than 300 people at the RiverMill Event Center for the Chef’s Collaborative dinner, which raised money for the Giving Kitchen, one of the many organizations and individuals who have helped Jones and his family.

Before he could get his first words out, someone yelled from crowd, “Love you, Mark.”

He quickly responded, “I love all y’all.”

Jones’ words didn’t get any easier as he thanked those who have offered support, prayers and encouragement during his struggle to regain movement in his arms and legs.

“The community came together with all of their prayers, love, support and thoughts,” Jones said. “Then the restaurant community came together ... and made me feel like I had another family. I love the restaurant community and I love Columbus. We have a lot of great restaurants in this town, but we have even better people.”

Jones started building his restaurant empire in 1998 when he opened Hunter’s Pub, a popular southern Harris County steakhouse. He owns, or co-owns, five restaurants in downtown Columbus, including Smoke Bourbon and BBQ, Black Cow, Flip Side Burgers & Tacos and Plucked Up Chicken and Biscuits. He also owns Mark’s Pies and Thighs in Harris County, Ready, Steak, Go takeout restaurants and Mark’s City Grill.

With his wife, Sheri, sitting a few feet away from the podium, Jones praised the work that Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit established in Atlanta five years ago and is now moving into other parts of Georgia, including Columbus.

“This is something — and they have done it in Atlanta and other places — but to get them here is a really great thing,” Jones said. “... People in the restaurant industry don’t have a lot of the things that the big countries have — insurance and stuff like that. This is where they kind of step in and help people that just have no other choice or avenues. You got to respect that.”

Jones said the help he has received from the Giving Kitchen has been a blessing.

“I know I have been blessed by them; more than that I have been blessed by this community; I have been blessed by the restaurant industry and a wonderful family,” he said.

Six of the top local chefs came together to produce the six-course gourmet meal for the fundraiser. Morten Wulff of Morten’s at Old Town; Trevor Morris of Trevioli Italian Kitchen; Tom Jones of Mabella and The Loft; Jeff Brammer of Valley Hospitality; and Rocco Caggiano of Columbus Country Club combined efforts with Mark Jones, who with his team helped produce a soup course. The dinner was organized by Yalla Public Relations, a local firm that helped bring the Giving Kitchen to Columbus a year ago.

Jones said he was good to be a room of friends and familiar faces, many of them customers at his local restaurants.

“I feel like I know all y’all,” he said. “I fell like I have seen you somewhere and if I have not seen you yet, I will. Because I am going to come back better and stronger than I ever have.”

Since the May 20 car crash in Phenix City, Jones has been in rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, one of the nation’s top spinal chord injury hospitals.

Jones is slowly regaining motion in his arms and legs. He can use his right arm to reach out and shake your hand. He is able to walk short distances during therapy using the support of a sling and walker.

Jones’ medical insurance had lapsed and he was without insurance at the time of the wreck. Since word of Jones’ plight spread, there have been a number of fundraisers and community support.

“From our fundraising efforts so far, we’ve raised over $100,000 for the Mark Jones medical fund. Mark’s fundraisers and the Columbus Chefs Collaborative Dinner benefiting Giving Kitchen are perfect examples of chefs and community coming together in support the restaurant industry,” said Stephanie Woodham, one of Jones’ business partners and a close friend who has worked to assist him throughout this ordeal.

For Jones now, it’s all about regaining what was lost in the crash.

“I want to get back to y’all and I want to get back to my family,” Jones said. “And I want to get back to the restaurant industry. I have a lot of ideas I want to bring and I hope y’all will like them..”

This story was originally published October 15, 2018 at 10:48 AM.