A Flair for Food

Henderson native, Brooks Reitz, has had a lifelong affair with food.

It seems his entire life has pointed him towards his passion for dishes that please the pallet.  That passion, coupled with a lot of hard work and determination, led him to his dream of owning his own restaurant. Today, he owns and operates two of them, actually.

It all started in Henderson, where food was always a topic of conversation in his family. “I lived on a farm,” he said, “We never ate out.  My parents had a garden, and it was all about the food.”

Growing up in Henderson, the budding entrepreneur attended East Heights Elementary and later Henderson County High School. Brooks says his first job in high school was with event and catering at Henderson Country Club.

After graduating in 2000, he moved to Lexington and attended Transylvania University, studying English and drama.  It was during this time he began working at Dudley’s, a popular restaurant there.

“While working there I developed an intense interest in food,” says Brooks.  He continued to work at Dudley’s throughout his college career.

After graduating and moving to Louisville, his excitement for all things culinary continued to build as he began bartending and later managing a restaurant there. His strong work ethic and passion led to his being promoted to general manager of the restaurant at only 24 years old.

Through some research, he discovered that Charleston was a “hotbed” for restaurants so, in 2008, he packed up and headed to South Carolina, where he landed a job at what he describes as “the best restaurant in town” called Fig, (for Food Is Good). Brooks was quickly promoted to general manager and then soon after was asked to open a second restaurant for them called The Ordinary.

While working at The Ordinary, he began saving to one day open a restaurant of his own. “My parents didn’t give me any money,” he recalls. “I’ve worked since high school. I knew I would have to find a way to finance it on my own. Restaurants are expensive.”

Finally, in 2014, he made the leap and opened Leon’s Oyster Shop in a garage on King Street in Charleston. Leon’s was a fast success and soon caught the attention of Southern Living Magazine who placed it on their “Best New Restaurant in the South” list.

“We sell oysters and fried chicken. Expensive champagne and cheap beer,” he tells me, proudly.

Only four months ago, Brooks opened his second restaurant, one block away from Leon’s, called Little Jack’s Tavern. “Think green and white checkered tablecloths,” he says as he begins describing the features of his newest venture. He was able to replicate the success yet again and was excited to announce that Little Jack’s was also placed on Southern Living Magazine’s “Best New Restaurant in The South” list.

Henderson is proud to call Brooks one of our own.  He would be proud for everyone to visit him at his restaurants while traveling through Charleston. Tell him Henderson Family Magazine sent you!

You can read more about the menus and events going on at his restaurants by following them on Instagram at @leonsoystershop and
@littlejackstavern.