A Brief History

The Great Jones Cafe was opened on June 8, 1983 by high school friends Rich Kresberg & Phil Hartman. Serving authentic Cajun food, this Bowery juke joint became a popular watering hole for the indie film & music communities & an icon of the bad old days in NYC in the ‘80’s. From 1989-2018, the Jones was owned and operated by Jim Moffett, Bill Judkins & Mark Hitzges, keeping alive the original vibe of the Jones — possibly even improving the juke box — and putting their own stamp on what became a downtown institution, treasured by each succeeding generation.