Marking her 30th year running Chez Monet, Joan Fairfax has once again reopened her signature business, this time in the Governor Office Building at 200 Madison St. in Jefferson City.
Starting Tuesday, the business began offering pastries, coffee, espresso drinks, sandwiches and salads at the downtown location, as well as a hot lunch special every day.
Fairfax had originally planned to open in June, but as the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered state offices, she had to hold off. The Governor Office Building reopened to the public in mid-December, and Fairfax said, thanks to the efforts of those in the governor's office and the Public Service Commission, she was able to get back in the building and restart her prep work.
Tuesday's start went fine, Fairfax said, if a little slow, which is what she prefers when starting out.
"I'm always apprehensive," she said, noting she likes to "ease into it" and have a few slower days to figure things out before it gets busy.
It's not a new experience for Fairfax. She's opened Chez Monet two other times in Jefferson City - first in 1991 on East High Street, where she stayed until closing in 2013. At that time, she focused on operating the bakery portion of Chez Monet out of her home before reopening the doors to the cafe portion of the business in 2018, this time inside the Capitol.
But even with a slow start, by her third day open in the new location, Fairfax said she had seen so many customers who used to frequent her East High Street location - customers like Dale Roberts, a retired state employee who came into Jefferson City last week for lunch. When he saw the sign outside the Governor Office Building that Chez Monet was open, he said he knew he had another stop to make and made sure to pick up dessert. But he came back to Jefferson City the next day to have lunch at Chez Monet and catch up with Fairfax.
Roberts, like so many other customers Fairfax has reconnected with since Tuesday, hadn't seen the business or Fairfax since the East High Street location closed. When it reopened inside the Capitol, former customers who weren't heading there anyway became unlikely to visit just for lunch.
"It was a cumbersome procedure," Fairfax said of getting into the Capitol.
She moved out of the Capitol in mid-December, and a new spot, 1905 Bistro, has taken its place.
Reconnecting with so many old faces in her new location has meant so much to Fairfax. Asked what she thought would be most important for people to know about Chez Monet's new spot, Fairfax said: "We miss them, and it's easy to get in now."
"We've seen so many of our old friends. It makes my eyes water every day," she said. "It's just so good to see them."
Fairfax said she still has a couple of pieces of equipment coming, like a smaller espresso machine and a new grill. (She noted that back in 1993, she was the first business in town to have a commercial espresso machine.)
Chez Monet is open from 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fairfax also continues to operate her commercial bakery, with orders now able to be picked up from the Governor Office Building.
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