Inspiring Positivity Through Love: Joslyn Kelly, J’s Breakfast Club

In May, Herd Strategies is celebrating National Small Business Month by highlighting small business owners who exemplify the #entrepreneurialspirit. This week, we interviewed the always-inspiring Joslyn Kelly, founder and owner of J’s Breakfast Club in Gary, Indiana. Recently named the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center’s 2023 Community Impact Small Business of the Year, her restaurant serves as a gathering place that is revitalizing her community. Joslyn is also the founder of the This is Gary Foundation and The Love for Jalyn, Inc.

Q: What made you decide to open your own restaurant? Why breakfast?

A: This leg of my journey started out of tragedy. On December 4, 2014, my son Jalyn committed suicide while actively serving in the U.S. Army. Six months later, I lost my job and realized that I wanted to contribute to my son's legacy by finding something that allowed me to earn money while supporting Jalyn's foundation. I traveled frequently for the foundation, and everywhere I went, I ended up at a breakfast spot, which led to the inception of J's Breakfast Club.

Q: We love that you're all about inspiring positivity through love. What made you decide to position J's Breakfast Club as a space for the community to learn and grow?

A: The last words I heard from my son were, "Mom, I love you, but I'm tired of living." The world lacks empathy, and those words made me determined to change that. That gave birth to a passion founded on the principle to love to live and live to love.

Q: What advice would you give aspiring business owners?

A: Be confident in who you are and what you do because no one can give that to you. Once you are, the rest will line up.

Q: Where do you see J's Breakfast Club in five years?

A: All over! J's was able to excel in so many ways because there is a need in the community. The Gary leakage report of 2015 showed that over $200M was spent outside of the community because there isn't enough inside of the community to support it. When we opened our doors, people came in and didn't want to leave because there was such a high demand for a business like ours.

That's why I created a growth plan that works to serve communities similar to ours. I would like to see two to three more Breakfast Clubs opened in areas that lack services like restaurants, gathering spaces or even employable businesses for residents to work, similar to Gary.

To keep up with Joslyn’s work, follow J’s Breakfast Club on Facebook and Yelp or visit their website.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.