Midtown Atlanta's 5Church celebrating decade of telling stories through food

For 10 years, 5Church has been serving up bold flavors in Midtown Atlanta.

The story behind the restaurant begins long before the first guest walked through its doors. Every plate tells a story. Not just of what's being served, but of the passion behind the food.

"I came to the U.S. chasing the American dream," said Ayman Kamel.

Long before he opened 5Church in 2016, Kamel learned the business from the ground up.

"My first role? Washing dishes. I cooked, I butchered, I prepped, I got my fair share of burns and cuts," said Kamel.

Today, those lessons still shape the culture here. More than 100 people keep this Midtown Atlanta restaurant running. A second location opened four years ago in Buckhead. From the kitchen to the dining room, the team, including Chef Angelina Espinoza, helped create a menu that reflects Atlanta.

"We have chefs from all over the place. We all work together, the chefs from all the locations, just developing and creating new dishes," said Espinoza.

Seasonal ingredients come from Georgia farms. Sauces are made from scratch. Artwork throughout the restaurant gives diners something beyond the menu to discover.

"We're obsessed with our guest satisfaction. It's not only the food, the music or the art. It's the whole experience," said Kamel.

A decade after opening, Kamel said success isn't measured by how many meals are served, but by the people behind them. For him, the recipe hasn't changed.

"If you focus on the food and you make sure the food is so good it will make people smile," said Kamel.