PLANO – Yomi Martin grew up poor in St. Louis, Mo. From the time he was born until he was 11, he and his mom shared a room in a house that included two uncles and his mom's parents. Watching his mom's car get repossessed is one of his worst memories.
So when Mr. Martin's first cousin, Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., who grew up even poorer, began to make it as a rapper named Nelly, Yomi saw an opportunity. With his cousin's help, he launched the hip-hop clothing line Vokal 10 years ago.
Four years ago, he inched up another rung on the ladder of hip-hop entrepreneurship by launching Apple Bottoms, which, according to its Web site, seeks to "celebrate and liberate the natural curves of a woman's body."
Apple Bottoms is a $125 million success story. So what is Mr. Martin, now 30, doing in the heart of West Plano, running Jerseyville, a sports restaurant in the Shops at Willow Bend?
Proud of his degree in business and marketing and his savvy as a hip-hop clothing maven, Mr. Martin fully expects to make it, even in West Plano.
"The sports crowd is the most diverse audience in the world," he says. "That's why we weren't afraid of Plano. This is not a black thing. This is not a white thing. This is a sports thing."
Those familiar with the area are intrigued.
"I just don't think hip-hop when I think Plano," laughs New York financial executive David Nelson, who, until 2005, lived within walking distance of the Shops at Willow Bend, near the corner of West Park Boulevard and the Dallas North Tollway.
That's the spot where Mr. Martin has chosen to launch Jerseyville (formerly Doug & Bruski's), a family-oriented sports restaurant whose co-owners include Dallas Cowboys linebacker Akin Ayodele and longtime restaurateurs Doug Czufin and Bruce Lazarus, who opened Doug & Bruski's two years ago and then agonized as it struggled.
The owners of the Canyon Cafe chain that once included a Dallas location, Mr. Czufin and Mr. Lazarus have long been adept at food, but no matter how enticing the entrees or how sleek the atmosphere, Doug & Bruski's had all the pop of a foul ball.
Enter Mr. Martin, whom they met through Carlos Goyne, the architect who designed the friendly confines of Doug & Bruski's. Initially, Mr. Martin approached them to be consultants on his own dream of taking national a Planet Hollywood-like haven for athletes and fans.
They came away so impressed, they asked Mr. Martin to be a partner, which didn't mean they didn't have questions.
"At one point, Bruce was going to meet with Yomi," says Mr. Czufin, a chef trained at the renowned Culinary Institute of America. "I said, 'We've got to make sure we're all on the same page of what this is going to be.' So, I wrote out my questions: 'Was this going to be a place for guys to hang with the posse? Was this going to be a place showcasing Nelly's rap music? Was this going to be a place showcasing hip-hop clothing or a successful restaurant?' "
But after spending time with Mr. Martin, Mr. Czufin says he and Mr. Lazarus came away "quite impressed, especially with Yomi's presence and sense of professionalism. He tells a story about starting out and meeting this man who became his earliest mentor. Yomi's wearing a lot of bling, and the guy says, 'Are you a businessman or a hip-hopper?' Yomi says, 'I'm a businessman.' And the guy says, 'Well, get rid of the bling and don't wear it again.' "
Starting out at Iowa Wesleyan University, Mr. Martin got his degree from Maryville University in St. Louis. At both schools, he excelled as a basketball point guard, "a position for control freaks," he says with a smile. Sports opened the door to a lifetime of friendships with well-known athletes.
Sports also gave him confidence, which causes him not to be intimidated by the Murdered Row of shops and restaurants that have died at Willow Bend, including the sexy Mercury Grill, which chose to stick with its Dallas location. He contends hard work and charisma can overcome life's most daunting obstacles, including a clash of cultures.
"I believe," he says, "in the power of marketing."
He thrives on surprising people, most often at his St. Louis estate. "People knock on my door everyday," he says, "and ask if my parents are home."
So far, the Plano adventure seems to be working, with the ownership team saying business is up 33 percent since the name changed to Jerseyville.
A recent weeknight offered evidence of the buzz. Hundreds of well-wishers greeted Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on the same evening he had been offered a $67.5 million contract and answered annoying questions about a chance meeting with Britney Spears.
So, what does the Cowboys QB think of Jerseyville?
"I think it's a great place," he says. "Tonight was fantastic here. I think No. 1, just the setup, with all these people, it's really comfortable. I'll come back, for sure."
Mr. Martin says the trick is to make Jerseyville dramatically different from others in the genre.
"You think sports bars and you think smoky and loud, with greasy food and a couple of TVs, and Rolaids afterwards," says Mr. Martin. "But we're the complete opposite."
Mr. Adoyele says they share the original Doug & Bruski's vision of wanting not a bar but a restaurant in which families feel comfortable.
"Where they can bring their kids, where they enjoy watching sports but also enjoy the food," says Mr. Adoyele. "We're not a sports bar, with drinks and finger food. Here, you can sit down and have a great meal."
Mr. Adoyele is so serious, he recently took a National Football League-sponsored course at Harvard Business School. And now, he and Mr. Martin hope to lure others from the sports world.
Former Mavericks player Greg Buckner is already an investor. NBA players Carmelo Anthony, Darren Williams and Chris Paul hope to open Jerseyville locations in other cities. But the model, vows Mr. Martin, won't follow the traditional path of an absentee athlete lending his name – and nothing else – to the enterprise.
His investors, he says, will get involved as partners who share a stake in company fortunes. Cowboys running back Marion Barber and Mavericks forward Josh Howard have expressed interest, as has Mavericks guard Maurice Ager, who's also a regular, mixing and mingling with fans. Numerous other athletes are making their way to quiet Chapel Hill Boulevard, where Jerseyville sits in the back of the mall. In contrast, Maggiano's Little Italy – located in front of the mall, at Park and the tollway – has a loyal clientele whose wait for a table is often an hour or more.
Jerseyville will one day revel in the same mojo, predicts Mr. Adoyele, calling it "our hidden gem in the back of the mall."
And now for the question everyone asks: Will Nelly be involved? Most likely, says Mr. Martin, no.
As for the guys who started Doug & Bruski's, they're thrilled with the new look, the new investors and the new buzz. The clientele is more diverse. It's not uncommon to hear a hip-hop beat as cars pull up in the parking lot.
"Sports is the great equalizer," says Mr. Czufin. "We're happy to put our arms around diversity, because diversity maximizes your business. We're looking at this as a great opportunity, in more ways than one. So far, it couldn't be better." Plan your life
Jerseyville is at 6121 W. Park Blvd., Suite R101, in the Shops at Willow Bend in West Plano. The Dallas Cowboys weekly radio show takes place there at 7 p.m. Mondays during the football season. Call 972-202-4599.
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