Jill grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan in Kenosha, Wisconsin, moved to Utah at 17, and never planned to open a restaurant. She got her real estate license at 21, paid off her student debt by flipping her first condo, and built a career around design, marketing, and real estate investment.
Then her husband started talking about franchising a bar. She ignored him — for five years.
Until one walk around a lake in Daybreak, Utah changed everything.
In this episode, Jill shares the full story of how The Lake Break was born: the 48-hour scramble to secure a sublease from Hoppers Grill, navigating an SBA loan with daily contractor chaos, training bartenders without a liquor license in hand, and soft-opening the week before Christmas — because a $17,000/month lease waits for no one.
She breaks down what it really takes to build something from scratch when you have the vision but not the industry experience — and how a background in real estate, design, and house-flipping became her secret weapon.
Topics covered:
— Going from fashion design school to real estate at 21
— How one walk around a lake became a business plan
— Securing a sublease in 48 hours with no due diligence
— Navigating SBA loans and contractor reimbursements in real time
— Getting a liquor license the day before soft opening
— Building a team you actually trust
— What makes The Lake Break different from every other restaurant in the South Valley
📍 The Lake Break | Daybreak, Utah
Connect with Jill Jones: Instagram: @thelakebreak_daybreak @jillypink5858
Connect with Josh Zieglowsky: Instagram: @thejoshz
Connect with Zach Spencer: Instagram: @zach_espencer
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