“I quit working at a gourmet restaurant in Ames to work at a gas station,” stated Tony LeCount, head chef of D&J Expresso convenience store and deli in Lansing.
LeCount and his now brother-in-law Quincy Johnson made a joke several years ago while vacationing together in Lansing that one day they would buy Expresso – which had traditional bad, quick food offerings – and make it their own.
“We knew we wouldn’t keep the same food and would offer more homemade options,” LeCount explained. Being the cook for many family get-togethers with fantastic menus made LeCount a shoe-in as head chef.
Expresso is now a truly top-notch restaurant that also sells gas and other convenience items. The journey began when LeCount got a call from Johnson in Feb. 2022 telling him they had bought the gas station, and needed him to lead the kitchen. Initially, LeCount replied with an immediate “no.” However, he was quickly won over. Their friend Josh Dreps had gone in with Johnson on the purchase of Expresso, and was also co-owner of the New Albin City Meat Market, a consistent source for quality fresh meat and meat products.
“I knew right there, that’s how we stand out,” said LeCount.
LeCount had worked under four top chefs during his 16 years as a professional cook at some of the best restaurants in the Ames metro area.
“I was doing all this work to please the customers and bring them these delicious flavors and foods, but I never got a chance to see or meet them and the menu wasn’t mine. So, there was a disconnect in the traditional restaurant,” LeCount explained.
Going to work at a gas station in Ames with a good menu, LeCount learned what it took to make good, quality food for a mass audience… and fast. After a month, he and his wife, Kaitlin (Johnson’s sister-in-law), moved to Lansing to make the dream of Expresso as a heart of Lansing culinary culture a reality on April 1, 2022.
LeCount recalled, “Lansing kept losing restaurant after restaurant, and they needed us. The Main Channel was my favorite when we’d come to Lansing vacationing; it was just the best. It was their family-style connection and just great, homemade food made with passion for flavor.”
Bringing that flair for the community atmosphere and their unending passion for food and flavor, D&J Expresso remodeled from the floor up – and from the food up with an open kitchen and upgraded cooking equipment – perfect for being able to socialize while the food is being prepared.
“I came up here to slow down, and I was kind of worried moving to a small town. Now, I can see and talk with our customers and see the positive responses as they enjoy our food immediately,” said LeCount. “We all know everyone’s names – I don’t need friends, I know all the locals – and make sure they are welcomed at the door; that’s very important to us. Bringing these new menus, I’m prepping the menu in my head two days ahead and we’re transforming the town’s tastes.”
“Local, fresh, fast and value – we have a lot of it,” LeCount asserted.
After being in business a year and a half, the tight-knit D&J Expresso crew – including LeCount with Johnathan Roach as his sous chef, wife Kaitlin Mulholland on line prep, bookwork and register – bring an unmistakable energy in the business. The regular coffee klatch has expanded drastically – as much for conversation as the food. But having breakfast and lunch offerings that never fail to please is a rock-solid bonus.
According to LeCount, “We have the guys tearing down the power plant from Texas, they come in every day and say, ‘give me the special,’ saying it’s the best food they’ve ever had. And we have locals come in for the specials – not even asking what’s in them just ‘I trust you.’ Man, that’s an awesome feeling.”
Expansion into house-made items like pickles, condiments and more is organic and completely based on locally-available produce. Whatever is available, D&J Expresso will turn it into something delicious, unique and as vibrant and comfortable as D&J Expresso’s atmosphere during service.
LeCount added, “My customers are the light of my life. I love taking the fear out of modern, gourmet food with a twist.”
The passion and energy that has them grinding all their own meats for burgers, whether beef or lamb, and using all the bounty each season provides them, keeps D&J Expresso abuzz and sticking to it day after day.
LeCount said, with the biggest smile, “We do what we want here, and we haven’t looked back.”
For more information on D&J Expresso, visit their Facebook page or stop by the Sinclair station on Main Street in Lansing, open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Jambalaya burrito
“I quit working at a gourmet restaurant in Ames to work at a gas station”– Tony LeCount, head chef of D&J Expresso
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