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Atlanta restaurant receives threats for charging extra fee for employees’ health insurance

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Atlanta restaurant receives threats for charging extra fee for employees’ health insurance


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – JenChan’s, a family-owned restaurant in the Cabbagetown area of Atlanta is turning heads.

The restaurant that opened six months before the pandemic is now garnering attention because it’s charging customers a health insurance fee for its full-time employees.

The following message is posted outside the restaurant, on all menus and at the bottom of each receipt.

“On your receipt, you will notice 4% health insurance we implemented after our premiums more than tripled last year. Thank you for being a part of our effort to ensure our staff can seek care for whatever mental or physical ailments they may face. We have appreciated all of the positive feedback from you, thank you! Please know that we will be more than happy to remove this for you without hesitation.”

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Owner Emily Chan said this has been in place for more than a year.

“We’ve only done this for a year and a half right,” Chan said. So, at the end of last year, we were able to cut a very small check, cause that was it. There wasn’t a lot left over, but there was a little bit, to the employees who were on health insurance,” Chan said. ‘Well, this year, it covered every single thing, and it was $2,000 off which means that 4% is just like it’s almost the perfect amount of money to cover everyone’s premiums.”

So why is the restaurant doing this?

“We feel like there’s a pretty huge crisis going on with health insurance. No one can afford it. Nothing has worked. We still have an employee that got turned down from health insurance this year. We have three different carries for our small team, and we just felt like if we put it as a line item, then it would highlight that there’s an issue here and we need to pay attention to it,” Chan said.

Recently, the owner’s family has received threats about the extra fee. Restaurant staff said one customer in particular was upset about paying $2 extra.

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“Someone just wasn’t happy about it. They ate food here, dined in and said nothing while they were here and went online to spill some nastiness about not just

The health insurance but physically threatening Emily and Jen and their kid online,” said Sam Hammer, lead bartender at the restaurant.

“Our owners take care of us by including a little charge for our health insurance and it’s for all of our full-time employees, including me,” Hammer said.

Hammer said he’s been there since 2022, and really needed his own insurance since he just got off his parents.

“I don’t have money like that and so I was just living my life without it and finally found this job randomly and I fell in love with the people and the place and because of them, I’m able to have health insurance. It’s a special thing. It’s not an industry standard at all,” Hammer said. “I appreciate them for taking care of me too,” he added.

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Atlanta News First spoke to many customers off camera who each said they were happy to help out the employees.

“It’s been pretty awesome, and we’ve been really busy this weekend just people saying, “Hey I hear what you’re doing for your employees. I work in the restaurant industry, and we never had health insurance,” Chan said.

Chan and Hammer said most of the backlash has come from people in other areas of the country.

“The locals in Cabbagetown were like, this is dope. We have no problem paying a little extra couple of dollars,” Hammer said.

Chan said she hopes this will bring changes to the industry.

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“I want people to talk about this. That’s why we have it as a line item, is because I feel like it’s worth a conversation. There’s an issue,” Chan said.

For now, Chan said she’s not changing a thing.

“Not changing a thing. The only thing I would change is if Congress does something, then I can just take that line item off completely and not even worry about it,” Chan said.



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Atlanta, GA

Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles

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Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles


A man was arrested at a concert last week after he shoved two kids off their bicycles, causing one of them to fall into a fountain, Sandy Springs police said. FOX 5 Atlanta’s Brittany Edney reporting. 

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Atlanta, GA

Same DNA, new address: Muchacho expands to West Midtown

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Same DNA, new address: Muchacho expands to West Midtown


Photo by Luke Beard

When Muchacho first opened along the Atlanta Beltline and Memorial Drive, it became known as a place shaped as much by its surroundings as by its menu. That site, housed in a 100‑year‑old train depot, set the tone for how the brand approaches expansion: start with the bones of a building, then let the space tell the story. The newly opened Muchacho West Midtown follows that same philosophy.

“We like to celebrate unique attributes of each property and work with the palette we’re given,” says founder and owner Michael Lennox. While the original Muchacho is defined by its long, narrow footprint and Spanish tile roof—features reminiscent of its former life as a train depot—the West Midtown location leans into an industrial past rooted in automotive culture: a former Meineke car care shop. Big windows reference former garage doors, while retro racing details appear inside.

Inside Muchacho on the Westside

Photo by Luke Beard

Still, the connective tissue between the two locations is clear. Both spaces draw heavily from Muchacho’s Southern California skate‑and‑surf roots. At Muchacho West Midtown, familiar playfulness appears via a blue‑orange‑yellow racing stripe pattern, a three‑dimensional pegboard gallery wall used to hang art and plants, and vintage Meineke signage. A life‑size cardboard cutout of George Foreman, once the pitchman for Meineke, underscores Lennox’s willingness to lean into humor and nostalgia. “It’s a playful brand,” he says.

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A functional halfpipe for skateboarding anchors the outdoor experience and will double as a performance space for bands and DJs. In about a month, a 4,000‑square‑foot “tropical secret garden” with tall bamboo lining the perimeter will open on the south side of the property. Another 1,500 square feet of patio space wraps the west and north sides, currently welcoming about 80 guests. Altogether, the West Midtown location will accommodate about 215 guests, making it comparable in size to the original, with a little more outdoor space.

Crispy chicken sandwich

Photo by Luke Beard

Muchacho West Midtown opened with the same core menu that made the Beltline location a staple: tacos, breakfast burritos, coffee, cocktails, and beer. Standouts like migas, chilaquiles, carne asada, and al pastor continue to be available. Over time, however, Lennox says each location is expected to develop its own personality, driven by the chefs who have “a pretty wide creative latitude.” Chef Betty Aparicio, formerly of Chido & Padre’s, steers the kitchen on the Westside.

“We want to nurture some immediate familiarity while providing space for some special moments you can only have at each location,” Lennox says.

Margarita

Photo by Luke Beard

One of these special moments will take place April 4 at a grand opening party dubbed MuchachoFest. Expect bands, a fortune teller, a mini skate park in parking lot, food and drink specials, and giveaways. “It’s going to be a fun day in West Midtown,” Lennox says.

A third Muchacho location will debut in the old Revival space in Decatur this summer. In addition, the Electric Hospitality team is bringing Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall to the Westside. Slated to launch in May on 11th Street, the convivial restaurant and bar will feature a 5,000-square-foot courtyard with an airstream bar, stage, and Crepe Myrtles, and a 45-seat island bar inside. Formerly a single-story warehouse from 1950s or ’60s, Ladybird West Midtown will offer the same food and beverages as its Eastside sibling with room for the chef and mixologist to add their unique touches.

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Atlanta, GA

Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels


A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm. 

What we know:

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South. 

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. 

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One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure. 

Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.

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Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.

Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.

What we don’t know:

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It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation. 

The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.

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