Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Cusack.
Hi Christina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My husband Rich began cooking professionally at a young age and went on to work in some incredible kitchens, including Daniel in New York, Le Bec-Fin, Parc, Bibou and Le Chéri, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. French cooking became his passion, particularly the classic techniques and traditions that aren’t seen as often anymore.
In August 2019, we took the leap and opened our first restaurant together, June BYOB, on East Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia. We named it after Rich’s mother, June, who was one of his earliest influences in the kitchen. We were a tiny restaurant and still very new when the pandemic hit just months after opening. We tried everything we could to keep it going, including completely changing the restaurant to takeout, but ultimately had to close in October 2020.
For a while, we genuinely didn’t know if June would ever exist again. Rich took whatever restaurant work he could find while we figured out what came next. Eventually, an opportunity came along in Collingswood, NJ, close to where we live and raise our family. We decided to take another chance, essentially start over, and reopened June in August 2021.
Since then, June has grown into exactly the restaurant we always hoped it could be. We focus on traditional French cooking with modern influences, seasonal ingredients and old-school tableside presentations, including our Canard à la Presse served using an antique French duck press. We still run the restaurant very much as a husband-and-wife team: Rich in the kitchen and Christina overseeing the the business side.
What we’re probably most proud of is how far June has come after nearly disappearing altogether. We’ve been fortunate to receive recognition from publications including Philadelphia Magazine and New Jersey Monthly, but more than anything, we’re proud that we were able to rebuild the restaurant, create something lasting, and continue doing what we love in our own community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a restaurant is rarely a smooth road! There are constant challenges – rising food and operating costs, staffing, maintaining an older building and equipment, managing vendors, and simply trying to provide a consistently great experience every single night while keeping the business financially healthy.
We also opened our first location only months before COVID, so we learned very early on how quickly circumstances completely outside of your control can change everything. Closing that location and starting over in Collingswood was probably the biggest challenge we’ve faced, but it also taught us to be incredibly resourceful and resilient.
One of the ongoing challenges of owning a small independent restaurant is that there really isn’t a department for anything. We wear every hat. If something breaks, someone calls out, a delivery doesn’t arrive, costs suddenly increase, or something unexpected happens, it’s ultimately ours to figure out…usually while still making sure none of it affects the guest experience.
But that’s also part of what makes it rewarding. We’ve built June from the ground up, and every challenge we’ve made it through has made us better at what we do. We certainly wouldn’t call it easy, but we wouldn’t trade the restaurant we’ve built or the community around it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
June BYOB is an intimate French restaurant in Collingswood, New Jersey, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Chef Richard and Christina Cusack. At its core, June is about preserving the traditions of classic French dining while still allowing the food to feel creative, seasonal and current.
Rich’s cooking is rooted in classical French technique, and our menus change frequently based on the season and what inspires him. We offer both an à la carte menu and a five-course Chef’s Tasting Menu, along with special experiences like our Canard à la Presse – a whole Muscovy duck presented, roasted and carved tableside, with the sauce prepared using our antique French duck press. It’s an old-world dining tradition that is rarely seen anymore and has become one of the experiences we’re best known for.
What sets June apart, though, is probably its size and how personal it is. We’re a small, independently owned restaurant, and we’re both there. Rich is in the kitchen cooking, and Christina runs the the business. We know our regulars, we celebrate people’s birthdays and anniversaries with them, and we genuinely want dinner at June to feel like an experience rather than simply going out to eat.
We’re incredibly proud of the recognition June has received over the years, including being named among Philadelphia Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants multiple times, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s “The 76,” New Jersey Monthly’s 50 Best Restaurants and The Infatuation’s best restaurants in South Jersey. For a small husband-and-wife BYOB that essentially had to start over, those recognitions mean a great deal to us.
More than anything, we want people to know that June is a true independent restaurant. There isn’t a restaurant group or corporation behind it. It’s our family, our staff and a restaurant that we’ve poured an enormous amount of ourselves into. We want to keep some of the romance, hospitality and traditions of classic French dining alive, while creating a place that feels warm, approachable and distinctly ours.
What makes you happy?
Our family makes us happiest. My husband and I have built a life, a family and a business together, and as chaotic as all three can sometimes be, we wouldn’t trade it.
Pricing:
- Chef’s Tasting Menu — Five Courses | $100 per person
- Sunday Tasting Menu — Four Courses | $55 per person
- Canard à la Presse Voyage — $220 (meal for 2, tasting for 4)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.junebyob.com
- Instagram: @junebyob
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Junebyob/
