This multi-cuisine Atlanta restaurant offers a sense of community

Shortly after Emily and Jen Chan’s son was born, Emily was faced with a problem: how do you prepare a meal with a newborn in your hands?

“I realized how hard it was for me to feed myself and cope with this new situation in our lives,” Emily said. Her solution? Start a business. A business that prepares and delivers ready-to-eat meals to hungry customers.

“I thought she was crazy, but if anyone could do it, it would be Emily,” Jen said.

Later, they opened their first physical restaurant in Atlanta, serving Mongolian beef cheesesteak, pizza, and fried rice. “JenChan’s Pizza and Chinese” was ready to open.

Moving away from the modern, upscale vibe that many restaurants seem to have these days, Emily and Jen went in the opposite direction. “As silly as it sounds, I want people to walk out and say, ‘You know, I felt like I was at Grandma’s house,’” Emily said. “It’s like a comforting environment, a place where I feel like I can, you know, grab a blanket and curl up and watch TV after I eat.”

As we come off a particularly gloomy Pride month for businesses across the country, JenChan’s is celebrating the LGBTQ+ community all year long with its “Gay Card” offer. This is a special discount card available to LGBTQ+ customers and their allies, with special deals for JenChan’s Gay Card holders.

“What we thought was going to be a super fun, whimsical, kitschy thing turned into something really beautiful,” Emily said. Customers showed their support for their LGBTQ+ friends and family by purchasing a card in their name.

To learn more about JenChan, click on the audio player above.