Mom’s Chicken & Waffles Launches GoFundMe To Help Revive Legendary Lucky’s Breakfast Space In San Diego's North Park

The team behind Mom’s Chicken & Waffles, the family-run comfort food favorite best known for its crispy buttermilk tenders and golden waffles, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help bring their new home - the historic former site of Lucky’s Golden Phenix in San Diego's North Park - back to life.

The Foxworth family, owners Brian and Collette Foxworth, are hoping to raise $75,000 to complete critical renovations to the decades-old building at 3804 Grim Avenue, which they plan to reopen as the permanent location for Mom’s Chicken & Waffles. The space, known for nearly half a century as Lucky’s Breakfast Corner, was run by the late Wong “Lucky” Chong, a beloved neighborhood figure whose diner became a community anchor for generations.

According to the campaign page, the structure’s aging infrastructure has proven to be a costly challenge. “The flooring, plumbing, electrical panels, and walls all need replacing. The systems are outdated, and the kitchen simply can’t meet today’s standards,” the family wrote. The funds will go toward installing a new kitchen, updating electrical and plumbing systems, and bringing the restaurant fully up to code while maintaining the diner’s original layout and character.

“This diner has been more than just a place to eat,” the Foxworths shared. “It’s a part of San Diego’s history - a place where families gathered, friendships grew, and where Lucky himself became a beloved figure in the community. Our mission is to honor what he started while continuing our own family story, building something that belongs to the community as much as it does to us.”

The new standalone location on Grim Avenue - now part of the newly renamed “Lucky Lane” - marks a major milestone for owners Brian and Collette Foxworth, who launched Mom’s in 2023 as a rebrand of their original concept, Rhythm’s Chicken & Waffles. After building a loyal following from their Pacific Beach beginnings to a spotlight on Netflix’s Fresh, Fried & Crispy and, most recently, operating from the U-31 kitchen in North Park, the Foxworths are now poised to anchor their comfort-food operation at the heart of the neighborhood.

Now, with the opportunity to carry forward Lucky’s legacy, Mom’s Chicken & Waffles hopes to transform the nostalgic corner café into a renewed gathering place for the neighborhood. Once complete, the family plans to display a donation wall inside the diner listing the names of all contributors who helped make the reopening possible. The GoFundMe campaign, titled “Help Mom’s Chicken & Waffles Get New Location Open!”, is now live and accepting donations.

“No donation is too small,” the Foxworths wrote. “With your help, we can preserve history, serve the present, and create a future where this diner once again becomes a place for connection, laughter, and tradition.”

Community support for the project has already begun, with Tribute Pizza chef and owner Matthew Lyons - who spearheaded the “Lucky Lane” renaming campaign in honor of the late Wong ‘Lucky’ Chong - donating $500 to the GoFundMe. Lyons, whose pizzeria sits directly across the street from the diner site, became close friends with Chong before his passing and has been one of the leading voices in preserving the neighborhood’s sense of history and continuity.

Mom’s Chicken & Waffles will open at 3804 Grim Avenue - recently renamed Lucky Lane - in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood. For more information and to contribute to the campaign, visit gofund.me/fd777ad92.

Originally published on October 21, 2025.