[My Weekender] with Jason Jones

Tie dye till I die - Jan 29, 10

Jason Jones is the owner of Munchies. Well, right on, right on.

Friday night is our biggest night of the week so after I close up at Jing An, I go home to my wife Isis and begin to laugh. It’s our time.

9.30am: Saturday morning, ritual: wake and bake -ing bread is on my mind. I’m partnering up with a new bakery and we’re working on some new bread and pastry recipes.

9.59am: I walk the 500m to my shop on Wuding Road. The street is buzzing already, I say hello to some familiar faces. Shout out to my man Tony, just a great kid and big part of the team here at Munchies.

10.00am: Open for business. So let’s get to work. First thing is all about cleaning and prepping.

10.30am: Delivery and seems like I am taking this one.

I’m heading to One Park Avenue, just down the street on Wuding Road. It used to be priceless seeing the customer’s reaction when a laowai shows up to delivered their food. One time a laowai lady felt sorry for me and offered me a 50rmb tip for a 30rmb delivery.

I love Saturday mornings because you get to see a unique slice of expat life. Most of our Saturday morning customers are hungover, have the munchies, or have a little bit of both.

I love it when the door opens -- you never know quite what to expect. Sometimes it’s a bleary eyed guy who answers, sometimes it’s their lady friend, and occasionally it’s even their lady’s lady friends.

It’s like a little window into Shanghai’s morning after… except I don’t get the regret.

For the next five hours I’m flippin' burgers, bagging deliveries, laughing with my great staff and chatting to our regulars.

3pm: I break for lunch with my wife, she hops on the back of our Geely motorbike, wraps her arms around me and we are off. She wants hot pot, I want western... Like any strong relationship, she wins and changes her mind: Spicy Joint. Great Sichuan restaurant in Peoples square. Cheap and Tasty. Good business.

After lunch we wander around the park and do a little shopping at Raffles, her favorite mall. My wife and I part ways. She’s going back to Jing An, I am off to our newest shop.

6.35pm: Now at the new “little munch” on Shunchang Road. It’s starting to pump, which is great to see.

10.00pm: Closing time and I have my orders. It’s Coldstone and tonight it’s a cheesecake fantasy. I swing in to home and my wife has the bath running, I hear Marvin’s: “Let’s get it on”. Point made.

Sunday:

9.00am: I wake up to my bowls -- it’s the Captain (Captain Crunch Berry) that is, in front of the NBA on CCTV.

9.55am: The Pistons suck -- it’s a tough year for my boys from the Motown City.

10.03am: It’s a reggae Sunday. It’s all about Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear setting the day off on the right note.

10:45am: My wife makes it to work and I am off to Munchies Shunchang Lu.

11:15am: Finally arrived at Munchies, Shunchag Lu, a little late after a brief pit stop at Krispy Kreme. Loving the “Hot and Now”.

3:00pm: The best part of the new shop is that it’s a whole new area of Shanghai to explore and take some amazing pictures of. Beautiful old lanes, compounds, street food vendors and small businesses providing everything the neighborhood needs.

4:30pm: I need a break and it’s off to kill some shit XBOX style. Army of Two is the game. The story line is Shanghai is crumbling away from terrorist attacks. It’s up to me and my boy Nate to save the day. Mostly me for that matter.

5:15pm: Got the munchies and need my munchies. A 4-Way Special and a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers fills that need, washed down with a Peanut butter Milkshake. Nice.

6:30pm: Two hours already flown by saving Shanghai and my wife isn’t too happy. Back to work.

9:00 pm: Finishing here early and going home to just get away. A few episodes down of 30 Rock and I’m done. Goodnight.

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