Taichung's baseball pitcher-turned-cook

Text and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Sho Huang

Name: Peter Jacobs "PJ" McKenna
Nationality: U.S.A.
Profession: PJ's Cafe owne

Peter Jacobs McKenna, better known to his customers as PJ, is an Irish-American from New Jersey who once was a professional baseball pitcher. After landing in Taichung by chance 17 years ago, he has stayed on and since opened his own PJ's Cafe.

Successful career change
It was PJ's previous professional sports career that brought him to Taichung from the other side of the globe. Two decades ago, PJ was among three pitcher candidates short-listed by the Philadelphia Phillies to enter the AAA league. During that time, the professional baseball scene was also starting to boom across Asia. Through his agent, he signed on as a pitcher with the Taiwan Major League's Taipei Gida team. Over the next three years, as the Taiwanese pro baseball scene evolved so did the teams' management structure. PJ was then was transferred to the Uni-President Lions team, which was part of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

Taiwan's professional baseball climate subsequently became quite chaotic, with teams continuously breaking up and merging with one another. During that fast-changing period, PJ still participated in games in various parts of Taiwan, and was deeply impressed with the wonderful weather and cultural environment in Taichung while playing here. "A pitcher should possess sharp vision, which told me to invest and settle in Taichung," he notes today.

Friendly management breeds success
The decor at PJ's Western-style eatery and bar is inspired by his New Jersey hometown and California, where he spent a long time playing pro baseball, with an ambiance that is relaxing, rustic and modern at the same time. Many of the main entrees here are Irish-inspired and PJ hosts a St. Patrick's Day party each year on March 17, allowing Taiwanese patrons to experience an authentic Irish festive atmosphere in Taichung. On PJ's menu one can also find Western-style steaks and salads and Mexican food, all going well with refreshing beer served at the bar. The restaurant also shows sports broadcasts and organizes a variety of regular events to attract customers. With a smile, PJ noted that to be able to compete in a city like Taichung, where the economy is thriving, his restaurant needed to provide something unique and keep customers interested with creative activities. Besides all that, PJ's Cafe is simply a great hangout for Taichung's foreigners.

Betting on Taichung
Besides running his place, PJ enjoys fun at some of Taichung's karaoke restaurants and piano bars, where he often likes to get together with friends and sing a song or two. This ranges from songs by Elton John, who he's a fan of, to even some of Lady Gaga's music. PJ is quite optimistic about the international development of Taichung after witnessing the rapid growth of the city during his time here. He believes that a growing number of foreigners will come to work in or visit Taichung with the rapid development of the city's economy and number of business and the merger of Taichung city and county. With a pitch that has proven itself to be accurate on and off the baseball field, PJ has committed himself to his business and this city.