Peter Jubeck
Encyclopedia
Pizza King and Sir Pizza
Beginning in 1962, and while attending Ball State, Jubeck worked at Pizza King http://www.pizzakingindiana.com/, a local pizza eatery owned by the Swartz family. Robert W. (Bob) Swartz, worked in his mom and dad's pizza place, located in Muncie, IndianaMuncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
. With an engineering degree and a passion for details, Bob was able to help his mom and dad develop a cup system that was easy to follow and produced quality results on a consistent basis. The location was expanded five times. They received numerous requests from people to buy their recipes, systems, and techniques. Instead of selling them, the Swartzes decided to franchise their operation under the name of Sir Pizza, which was incorporated in 1965.
Together with Bob Swartz, Jubeck developed the State Franchise Division of the company. Sir Pizza branched out through franchise locations in several states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, as well as locations abroad through Sir Pizza International. (Sir Pizza International now boasts over 200 franchises in operation in the United States, and abroad. In 1992 Sir Pizza broke into the top twenty list of "Pizza Today's" best 200 franchises).
Jubeck then partnered with Swartz as co-owner Sir Pizza of Michigan in 1966, opening their first Sir Pizza restaurant on Kalamazoo Street in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. Sir Pizza of Michigan is a licensee of Pizza King of [Muncie, Indiana]. Each of Jubeck's three brothers (Charles, Barry, and Tom) and his sister (Marcie) became associated with Sir Pizza thereafter. By 1975, Sir Pizza of Michigan had grown to eight company owned locations, eight franchise locations, and a central commissary, all in the Lansing area.
Clara's restaurants
In 1978, Jubeck chose the old Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)
The Union Depot is a former train station in Lansing, Michigan. The Union Depot began passenger service for the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette Railroads in 1902. The Detroit architectural firm of Spier and Rohns, which planned many Michigan Central stations, designed the building with...
built in 1903 as the site of his new venture Clara's Lansing Station, which opened in the summer of 1979 bringing life back into the once proud structure. The name "Clara's" was chosen because it was a popular name at the turn of the 20th Century, and because it was the name of Swartz's mother. This new restaurant location, designed and developed by Peter himself, was much larger than his pizza restaurants, touting a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of over 200 guests. Clara’s menu was larger too, offering steaks, seafood, hamburgers and salads in addition to Sir Pizza’s fare. The décor displayed turn of the century memorabilia from around the state. Clara’s quickly became a local favorite.
In 1980, Jubeck hired Ross Simpson as General Manager to help further develop the concept and menu, and to handle operations of the restaurant. Simpson added more entrées to the menu, including "Chicken Hawaiian", Clara's biggest seller. Simpson left Clara's in 1982 to join the T.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Carlson Companies. Its name is taken from the expression TGIF...
restaurant chain, but returned to Clara's as Director of Operations in 1989. About this time, Jubeck ended his partnership with Swartz and separated Clara’s operations from those of Sir Pizza in order to focus his efforts towards refining and expanding Clara’s concept. In 1991 Sir Pizza of Michigan was sold to Peter's brother Charles Jubeck, who was previously associated with Sir Pizza in Kentucky. Charles continues to operate Sir Pizza of Michigan to this day.
Shortly after his return, Simpson expanded Clara’s entree menu to sixteen pages, added an award winning Sunday Brunch, and outdoor patio dining. This period resulted in substantial sales growth, which allowed Jubeck to undertake an expansion of the Lansing restaurant. The subsequent addition of a restored 1910 Pullman
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
Dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
to allow seating for 60 additional guests was completed in early 1999.
Early in 1991, Jubeck and Simpson purchased and restored the Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, Michigan)
Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, Michigan)
The Michigan Central Railroad Depot opened on July 27, 1888, in Battle Creek, MI. Rogers and MacFarlane of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth century...
built in 1888 and, on June 8, 1992 opened Clara’s on the River restaurant with a seating capacity of 300 guests. It offered the same food and beverage items as Clara's in Lansing, and emphasized the rich history of Battle Creek in the depot’s decor. Clara’s on the River was an immediate success, with over 330,000 visitors its first year. In late 1998, Clara's completed the development of a twelve hundred square foot banquet room in the "Railway Express Agency
Railway Express Agency
The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system...
" (REA) building located on Clara's on the River’s property.
Death and personal life
Jubeck was a strong family man, member of the Michigan Restaurant Association, and of the Asbury United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
http://www.asburyumclansing.org/ in Lansing. He was an avid racketball player and golfer. Peter Jubeck died of esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
at his home in Wacousta, Michigan, on May 12, 2003 at the age of 67. Family ownership of Clara's Lansing Station continues through his wife of 40 years, Linda, and through their two children, Scott and Cindy, who were raised while working in the family business. Linda, Scott, and Cindy continue to operate the Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
location to the present time. Simpson became the sole owner of Clara's on the River upon Peter's death, and continues to operate the Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
location.
See also
- All Aboard for Fun Dining, By Tom Dixon, Next Course Magazine - Fall 2008, The Magazine for Customers of Gordon Food Service
- Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)The Union Depot is a former train station in Lansing, Michigan. The Union Depot began passenger service for the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette Railroads in 1902. The Detroit architectural firm of Spier and Rohns, which planned many Michigan Central stations, designed the building with...
- Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, Michigan)Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, Michigan)The Michigan Central Railroad Depot opened on July 27, 1888, in Battle Creek, MI. Rogers and MacFarlane of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth century...