October Kitchen - April 2020

Jimmy Joe on the Red Scooter

The director said, ‘Jimmy, when you walked in wearing that outfit, I saw Felix!’ And I got the part. Although, my clothes might have been the only reason I got the part. My wife and daughters came to the show and afterward, my daughters said, ‘Dad, you weren’t acting! That’s how you are at home, dusting the blinds and everything.’ I guess Felix Ungar was the role I was born to play.” Over his career in community theater, Jimmy has been part of countless productions, from “Over the River and Through the Woods” to “Moon Over Buffalo.” In fact, Jimmy used to go by James before he took a role in a play that called for a Southern accent. While preparing for the part, Jimmy recorded his voicemail in a Southern accent and called himself Jimmy Joe. The nickname stuck. done some dramatic roles, but I love musicals and comedies. I like hearing the audience laugh. The world needs more laughs. That’s part of why I like October Kitchen. The food is so great and healthy and everyone there is always ready to laugh. Stopping by the store on my red scooter always brightened my day. That’s why I tell everyone about October Kitchen. I truly love what they do.” This is truly high praise from someone as lively as Jimmy Joe Byrne. Thanks for all the support, Jimmy! We’re looking forward to your next show. “I’m such a ham and I love to make people laugh,” Jimmy says. “I’ve

“One of my favorite roles, and the biggest role I’ve ever had, was as Felix Ungar in ‘The Odd Couple,’” Jimmy recalls. “I showed up to the audition dressed in a bow tie and kind of nerdy, just like Felix would dress.

If you’re reading our newsletter, then there’s a

pretty good chance you’ve heard about

October Kitchen from Jimmy Joe Byrne. Jimmy is one of our most vocal supporters. “I was a salesman forever,” Jimmy explained when we tried to thank him. “When I love something, I’m going to advertise it to other people.”

To say Jimmy’s sales career was illustrious would be putting it mildly. In his long career as a salesman, Jimmy worked for 3M (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company), Xerox, Jiffy Manufacturing and Sealed Air, the company that invented bubble wrap. The only thing that outmatches Jimmy’s career in sales is his career in local theater. If you’ve seen a community play in Connecticut in recent years, then you’ve likely seen Jimmy showing off his acting chops. Though he’s lived in Connecticut for years, Jimmy Joe Byrne is a Brooklyn boy, with a flair for the dramatic and a love of accents. He’s the sort of person who loves to make people laugh, which is why a friend at the bank suggested Jimmy audition for their local theater group in 1979. Jimmy auditioned, got a “teeny, weeny, little part” and discovered his love for community theater. He’s been doing shows for 41 years.

“In the summer of 2016, I was riding my red scooter in Bolton when I spotted a farm stand and decided to stop. Behind the stand, they had this beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie. I bought the pie and was surprised to learn it had come from October Kitchen! They’d made the pie just for Pesce Farm. I took the pie home, found it to be delicious and decided to visit October Kitchen’s store myself. That’s when I met Chef Paul and I’ve been eating with October Kitchen ever since!”

–Jimmy Joe Byrne

2 OctoberKitchen.com

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