Discover Our Story

Tom Zuber, Chef

Joyce Throneburg, Building Owner

When Tom Zuber decided to run his own restaurant showcasing his mother and grandmother’s comfort food, he never imagined that vision would lead him to an old brick building, constructed in 1913, by two enterprising grocers. But his dream met Joyce Throneburg’s–and a vision became reality.

At the corner of Chestnut and West 3rd South Street, DJ’s occupies a building with a proud history. The structure, built by Throneburg’s grandfather, D.J. Domas and E.J. Galerno housed their grocery and general merchandise business for 50 years.  After DJ’s retirement in 1958, others ran the grocery store until the 1980s. Throneburg bought the building, which had fallen into disrepair, in 2019 with the goal of having a full-service restaurant. She reached out to Zuber and got an enthusiastic response.

Tom is no stranger to Assumption, having grown up on a family farm, where he experienced firsthand the work and dedication it takes to bring fresh food to local tables. After graduating from culinary school in Chicago, he brought his vast knowledge of food with him to St. Louis, Missouri. Over the past 25 years his creations have graced the tables of high-end establishments like the Ritz Carlton, the Chase Park Plaza, and long-term care facilities. He has even cooked in the Caribbean–but for Zuber, the ultimate goal was to come home.

For all his varied experience, at heart Zuber is a “meat and potatoes” guy who cherishes family. With the love and support of his wife Lynn, and their daughter Lexi, he decided to chase his dream and return to Assumption, where the pull of a small town lifestyle, coupled with the on-going community revitalization, was too strong to ignore. The recipes he so cherished from his family would finally get their day in the sun.

That connection to the comfort food of his youth, combined with his innovative experimentation, results in a meal that is both familiar and exciting. The goal is to make familiar food with a highly artistic quality, and have it be accessible to everyone.

When Zuber looks out at his dining room, he expects to see people from all walks of life enjoying his creations. “I very well may see a farmer coming straight out of the field to eat, high school students on a date, families with kids, church ladies, guests in business attire, and people in T-shirt and shorts. I want DJ’s to be the restaurant in Assumption and the surrounding area.”