Daughter of Sacramento’s Chicago Fire founder takes over J. Wild’s Barbecue in Folsom
J. Wild’s Burgers & BBQ on Sutter Street in Folsom, what used to be the original Chicago Fire, just found new owners — and they were rather close to home.
Sammy and James Youmans, co-owners, were married less than a year ago on May 29. Sammy Youmans is the daughter of Eric Schnetz, the founder of Sacramento-area pizza staple Chicago Fire. Schnetz owned both Chicago Fire and J. Wild’s from 2020 until approximately two weeks ago, when he sold it to his daughter and son-in-law.
Schnetz said he sold the restaurant and backed off entirely, aside from giving advice, because he could not give his pizza chain the attention that it deserves.
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“These guys (Sammy and James) were looking for something up in Portland, and it was right about the time when I made the decision to let this restaurant go,” Schnetz said. “As soon as they heard about it, they jumped on it.”
Sammy Youmans took ownership of Icing on the Cupcake, a Sacramento-area bakery, with Schnetz, her sister and her stepmother in 2017. She said she helped with marketing and “a little bit in the kitchen” before taking on the responsibility of J. Wild’s.
James Youmans said this is the first time he has taken on a project of this nature.
“We specialize in brisket,” Sammy Youmans said. “It’s Texas style, smoked with oak and cherry.”
James Youmans said “Texas style” means there is no rub, just solid pepper.
“You really want the meat to shine more than anything else,” he said. “That’s what Texas barbecue is about. It’s not about the sauce. (It’s) not about having some wet weird rub with some weird ingredient. It’s salt, pepper and smoke flavor. That just allows the quality of the meat to show forward.”
The new owners also said they want to create a paid-membership whiskey club that gives customers special access to merchandise and events. They currently have 60 whiskeys but said they want to grow that collection to 99.
Speaking from past experience
Schnetz said he changed the original Chicago Fire to J. Wild’s in June 2020 after the minimum wage increased and it stopped making sense to have a pizza shop location four miles away from one in the Palladio shopping center.
“I have a (Chicago Fire) restaurant in Roseville, too,” he said. “This one’s right in between those two. So, when we did change it to J. Wild’s, sales at Palladio went up 15%, sales at Chicago Fire in Roseville went up 10%. It really was the right move from that standpoint.”
Eight TVs line the walls of J. Wild’s main dining room.
“I think for you guys, really (build) on that happy hour during whatever in the summer: Giants games, Kings games,” Schnetz said to his daughter and son-in-law. “Give people a reason to come watch it here.”
He said a lack of TVs in his restaurant was a hindrance in the early days of Chicago Fire, which was founded in 2003.
“The last time the Kings were hot, it was probably in our first five years of business at Chicago Fire,” he said. “We used to call them ‘Kings killers’ because we didn’t have TVs in the restaurants. If there was a Kings game on, on a Wednesday night? Forget it, man.”
