Meet Yohana Solomon of Chow Club Atlanta in East Atlanta Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yohana Solomon.

Yohana, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Due to safety issues pertaining with the Ethiopian civil war, I was forced to leave my family, friends and my neighborhood to migrate to the United States. My Mom was a great cook with a huge sense of community. She valued every single meal and insisted we always eat together as a family while including neighbors and friends. As a result, I understood the gift of love and power of healing that comes from preparing and eating together. This definitely played a huge role with the direction I chose before and after becoming a US citizen.

Nearly eight years ago, I began operating a monthly pop-up food court, The Atlanta Underground Market. The market would pop up in a different “secret” location each month, including The Atlanta History Center, Atlantic Station, Sweet Auburn Market, Ponce City Market and numerous other locations. Each pop up had between 500 and 800 attendees and consisted of up to 20 emerging small business owners. One of the attendees I connected with was Amanda Plumb. In 2017, Amanda and I co-founded Chow Club of Atlanta, which is a true underground dining experience that features chefs from all parts of the world.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In 2017, the Travel Ban was enforced and we felt it deeply. We utilized PayPal for our financial transactions. In this timeframe of the travel ban, we scheduled the dinner to be prepared by a Mother and Son team from Syria. Syria was listed on the travel ban; thus our Paypal account was flagged. All monies associated with the Chow Club were immediately frozen. We had individuals that had purchased tickets and we literally didn’t have a solution. We didn’t have the means to issue a refund nor provide the service in which they had purchased. Very scary but after five days, we removed Syria from the name of that particular dinner and the funds flowed!

Quite obviously, I have encountered discrimination and misunderstanding from various people/groups that simply do not understand the fear, uncertainty and loss when having to suddenly relocate to a different country. I think quite a few immigrants will share the same story.

Chow Club Atlanta – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We have created a community where people can meet immigrants/refugees and see we are not just from another country but we are part of the community. As a caterer/immigrant and as the organizer, it is such a beautiful marriage. Chow Club Atlanta is a members-only, underground dining experience. Members try foods and learn about various cultures through food. Each month, we feature a different chef from different parts of the world. The chefs prepare and present a 3-5 course meal. Each dish comes with a unique story and the members get to know the chefs and understand some of their experiences.

From a chef’s perspective, they are given an opportunity to fulfill their passion for cooking, a chance to share their experiences by telling their stories and not to mention, the chefs are able to earn income in the process. One requirement is the chefs must prepare food that is not easily accessible or foods that cannot be found at any local restaurant. The meal must be full of meaning while attaching the chefs to their life prior to coming to the United States. Each meal is sold for $50, regardless of the origin of the chef. Members are able to have their Chow Club passport stamped and it represents .the countries they have experienced through the perspective Chef. The Chow Club is one weekend out of each month. Additionally, we utilize 6-8 volunteers that are able to attend the event for no charge.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success is directly related to my upbringing and the witnessing of my parents. I will continue to hold on to many traditions that I practiced in Ethiopia as I feel they are more focused on community and the well being of all I define my own criteria for success and each time I am able to help another immigrant, refugee or small business owner that is a mark on my success chart.

Both the Atlanta Underground Markeand, the Chow Club, has allowed me to work with over 120 immigrant families and small business owners. Most are given the opportunity to connect within my network while some are able to earn at the Chow Club. I will know I have achieved true success when I am in a position to help immigrants or small businesses within my network earn consistent income via opening of restaurants, and obtaining more solid job opportunities, which in turn, allows them to pass it on.

Pricing:

• There is no charge to become a member of Chow Club and each dinner is $50.

Contact Info:

• Website: Chowclubatlanta.com
• Phone: 404.955.4982
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Instagram chowclubatl
• Facebook: Facebook Chow Club Atlanta

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