At one time, 25-year-old Jordan Morris thought he wanted to pursue a career in health care.
So he went to college and took a job at a doctor’s office in Seymour. But after three years, he decided it wasn’t a good fit.
That experience led him to take a different route into the food service industry.
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He went to work at Steak ‘n Shake in Seymour and managed the fast-food restaurant for five years. Morris loved meeting and serving customers and found he had a knack for the business.
But he wanted more control over things like the menu, the staff and the environment. To do that, he knew he couldn’t work for a fast-food chain and would have to go out on his own.
Now, he and his mother, Joyce Morris, have opened their own restaurant, Dine N Dash Sandwich Shop, to offer the community breakfast and lunch options that are quick, delicious and homemade with the highest-quality ingredients and reasonably priced, he said.
“One thing we always do here is we cook with highest quality,” he said. “We want to offer the best.”
Cooking is something Joyce has always enjoyed, and she, too, has worked in the food industry, having managed the McDonald’s restaurant in Brownstown for four years.
Food is served with a smile, and Jordan often comes out and talks to people as they eat, getting to know them and what they like.
Dine N Dash is located at 820 A Ave. in Freeman Field in a building that has a long history as a restaurant. It once housed the Airport Cafe, then Hulda’s Cafe and most recently D’s Diner.
Jordan said when he was looking for a building for Dine N Dash, he looked online and called a couple of local real estate agents.
“One of them pointed me toward Thom Hayes, who had this building,” Jordan said.
The Morrises repainted the inside dining area, which has a room available for large groups and business meetings.
Dine N Dash had its soft opening July 10 and then its official grand opening and ribbon cutting Aug. 23. Regular hours are from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The business is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Originally, the Morrises envisioned a deli style eatery offering cold cut sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups that could be prepared and eaten quickly for people on their lunch breaks. It fit with the Dine N Dash name.
But at customer requests, the menu quickly expanded to include burgers, tenderloins, chicken tenders and a variety of side items, such as white cheddar macaroni and cheese and crispy fried lattice potato chips.
They also serve Philly steak or chicken sandwiches, croissanwiches or croissant sliders with ham, chicken or tuna salad and homemade pies for dessert with flavors such as apple, coconut cream, peanut butter and strawberry rhubarb.
On Saturdays, Dine N Dash offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet from 6 to 10:30 a.m.
Other breakfast items available are egg and cheese biscuits with sausage or bacon, burritos, omelets, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, french toast, breakfast platters and several sides, including shredded hash browns, toast and bagels.
Jordan said he would like to start opening up in the evenings for supper, too, and eventually would like to offer delivery.
The response from the community has been really good, Joyce said.
“Everybody that comes in loves it,” she said. “It’s just getting the word out. A lot of people don’t even know we’re here. We’ve put fliers out and handed out probably 100 menus.”
So far, the experience of running his own restaurant has been the best part of the whole venture, Jordan said.
“And meeting people,” he said. “I love meeting people. I’m definitely a people person.”
Jordan makes it a point to get to know the names of his regular customers.
He also likes that the restaurant is attracting people from out of town, including pilots who fly in to Freeman Municipal Airport to try them out.
“People from Bedford, Bloomington and even from out of state,” he said.
“We’re listening to what everybody tells us and trying different things. We’re getting the feel for what people like,” Joyce added. “If you have a comment, good or bad, we want to know so we can improve.”
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What: Dine N Dash
Owners: Jordan Morris and his mother, Joyce.
Address: 820 A Ave. East, Seymour
Phone: 812-271-1768
Hours: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday thorough Friday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays
Information: Find them on Facebook by searching Dine N Dash
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