Jo Schneider never planned on spending her life in the restaurant business. In fact, before opening her first restaurant, she had never worked in one.
But maybe she was always meant for a life in service.
“I’m the kind of person that loves to take care of people, keep people happy,” she said.
That mindset helped shape a career that began in 1984 when she opened Bentley’s House of Coffee and Tea and eventually led her to La Cocina, now known as JoJo’s, in downtown Tucson.
Over the years, Schneider built more than a business. She created a place centered on family, connection and bringing people together.
“I love creating community. I love being around this community,” she said.
Jo’s favorite photo in her restaurant in Tucson, Ariz., on Oct. 21, 2026.
Beginnings at Bentley’s
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Schneider was inspired by her entrepreneurial father and thought owning a business would give her more freedom and time with her children.
“Really, the truth is, I just had no idea how hard it is to run a restaurant,” she said.
Schneider came to Tucson in November 1983 and opened her first restaurant, Bentley’s House of Coffee and Tea, on Speedway Boulevard in February 1984 – not without financial challenges and doubts, she said.
Schneider credits hard work, community support and the employees who helped her learn along the way for keeping the business going.
Her work also became a major part of her family’s life.
She hoped that owning a business would allow her to keep her children close, and in many ways, it did. Her children spent time at the restaurant growing up, washing dishes and working the cash register.
The experience gave her children appreciation for how much work goes into running a business.
“I got to work side-by-side with my kids for most of their lives,” Schneider said. “And that was amazing, too.”
After about 25 years at Bentley’s, Schneider began to feel that the coffee house had changed.
When she first opened, the space encouraged customers to talk, share tables and connect with one another, she said. But after Bentley’s became one of Tucson’s first cafes to offer internet access, she noticed more customers spending hours on their laptops rather than interacting with the people around them.
The sense of connection that had drawn her to the restaurant business was fading.
Then, in 2010, someone told Schneider that a restaurant downtown was for sale.
A sign inside the two bars at JoJo’s highlighting the original name La Cocina in Tucson, Ariz., on Oct. 21, 2026.
From La Cocina to JoJo’s
She had not considered opening another restaurant. But after visiting the space in Tucson’s Old Town Artisans, multiple times over several weeks, she began imagining what it could become.
Back then, the restaurant looked different from what it is today, she said. It was rundown, with plastic tables and buildings that were boarded up. But she saw potential in the outdoor space and envisioned a welcoming environment.
“I could create a community restaurant. I could build a stage,” she said for what would become La Cocina.
Schneider bought that restaurant on Aug. 5, 2010, and she opened the doors on Aug. 30.
“Took me a few weeks to get this place into shape. We opened for business and, knock on wood, we’ve been open ever since,” she said.
What was La Cocina now continues in a reimagined version under the name JoJo’s, a beloved nickname given to her by all the children in her life. This was to honor her when she stepped away to retire in 2022.
But Schneider, 73, couldn’t stay away for long. She eventually returned in the summer of 2025 after realizing retirement was not for her.
Today, she primarily works in the front of the house, connecting with customers and checking in with her staff. Her son now runs the kitchen and handles the books, allowing Schneider to focus on the parts of the restaurant she enjoys most.
“I just missed it,” she said. “I love what I do.”
“I think what makes it so special is the environment, the history, and the people,” she said.
After decades in the restaurant industry, Schneider continues to find purpose in bringing people together, she said. Watching customers enjoy the surroundings and engage reminds her why she started.
“I feel like it’s kind of the summation of my life, honestly,” she said. “This is exactly where I want to be at this point in my life. And I feel very grateful that I can do this every single day.”
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
