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About Us
A Restaurant of Her Own
Written By Austin Buckius of the Ogdenite
You may have noticed a new restaurant if you’ve been on Historic 25th Street in Ogden this past year: Jo Jo Bowls and Boba. After almost a year, it’s time to make it official. On Thursday, April 13, they are having a grand opening celebration. In preparation, I sat down with co-owner Marieta Denan, better known as Reta, to hear a bit about her story.
Originally from Indonesia, Denan has been in Ogden for the past five years. She started in the restaurant industry while living in Tennessee, and then worked at Tokyo Station restaurant when she moved to Ogden. From there, Denan built relationships in town and when a space opened for a new restaurant, co-owners Gilmar and his son Kenny Salvador offered her the opportunity to start an eatery of her own.
Wanting a little more boba tea in town and a place for quick, delicious meals, Denan decided on a teriyaki bowl restaurant. However, she went beyond teriyaki sauce. Pulling from her experience in different restaurants, Denan developed new sauce flavors including Wasabi Butter–created by her husband, Chef Dimas Awang–and Mango Pico with Sweet Chili Glaze inspired by her time working in Mexican restaurants.
Jo Jo Bowls and Boba offers a simple no-fuss menu: choose one of three sauces, a protein (chicken, shrimp, salmon, beef, or tofu), and upgrade from steamed rice to fried rice or noodles. Appetizers include edamame, gyoza, spring rolls, Agedashi tofu, and chicken fingers and fries. Along with all the boba flavors, there is wine, beer (imported, domestic, and craft), and sake to compliment your bowl.
Denan mostly talks about the community response. Despite years in the industry, this is her first time running a restaurant and she received a lot of help and support from the community to make Jo Jo Bowls and Boba successful. She got advice and tips—everything from throwing the official grand opening to where to supply her bowls. Hearing Denan talk you can definitely tell that Jo Jo Bowls and Boba, named after her daughter, is a labor of love not just for good food but for the community it stands in.
See you soon!
Ogden
Address: 252 25th St, Ogden, UT 84401
Hours:
Mon - Thur: 11am - 8pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 9pm
Sunday: Closed
Phone: (385) 432-0859