The Jones Bridge Road breakfast spot that turned a 25-seat storefront into a Michelin Guide-recommended destination reopens Tuesday, July 28, after a brief closure for renovations.

Hen Mother Cookhouse, at 11705 Jones Bridge Rd., Suite B201, closed temporarily for what the restaurant's website calls "some sprucing up." Owner Soraya Khoury opened the original location in May 2018 in a suburban shopping center where the space had seen tenant turnover.

Eight years later, the restaurant holds a Michelin Guide "Recommended" designation, one of fewer than 65 restaurants statewide in the guide. For a breakfast-and-lunch spot in a Johns Creek strip center, that puts Hen Mother in rare company.

From coffee shop to cookhouse

Khoury, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who previously cooked at Redd and Redd Wood in Napa Valley and Frances in San Francisco, landed in North Atlanta as executive chef of Rumi's Kitchen at Avalon. While house-hunting in Johns Creek, she kept meeting her real estate agent at the coffee shop that occupied the Jones Bridge Road space. She noticed the kitchen was underused.

In a November 2019 profile with The Faces of Johns Creek, Khoury described how the restaurant came together: "My sister offered to partner with my husband and me; we approached the owner (a Doctor with a practice close by) who had envisioned the same things we had but he didn't have the time or energy to invest."

Khoury's husband, chef Jesus Loyola, and her sister, Sarah Khoury, are business partners in the venture.

Michelin recognition and Alpharetta expansion

The Michelin Guide lists Hen Mother under American cuisine at a $$ price point, describing its interior as "blue walls, white-painted bench seating and wood tables" with a "kitschy farmhouse" aesthetic. Signature dishes include the XXL Cookhouse Chicken Biscuit with brined fried chicken, house-made pimento cheese, pickles, and a sweet sambal glaze inside a buttermilk biscuit.

On October 4, 2024, Hen Mother opened a second, larger location at 50 S. Main St. in downtown Alpharetta's City Square, according to Eater Atlanta. Reporter Henna Bakshi noted the new spot keeps a similar menu with additions like breakfast tacos and salads. Lines stretched down the street on opening day.

In an Atlanta Best Media profile published in late 2024, Khoury reflected on the Michelin recognition: "It's so cool. I've been in the industry for a while, and baking is probably where I have the most friends, but being recognized like this kind of shows me that I am part of this talented group. It's just really validating, and at the same time, so special for my team."

The Alpharetta location at 50 S. Main St. remains open with normal hours during the renovation period. Both locations serve breakfast and lunch only, with no reservations accepted.