ChūcH Restaurant

On Monday 10 June I shot photos for Chef Jon Maley’s ChūcH Restaurant pop up in Tacoma, Washington. It was an opportunity for me to put the pieces of the visual storytelling puzzle I’ve been working on (for a while) together. I’ve gotten close before, but the goal of shooting photos that craft a cohesive narrative has been elusive.

I’m interested in just about every form of photography, but I think my strengths lie in documentary photography. On Monday in Tacoma I was able to put that belief to the test by documenting Chef Maley’s pursuit of his dream – bringing people together over delicious food at ChūcH Restaurant. And that’s what he did on Monday.

I don’t cook, and I have simple food tastes. But I love being around food, be it in restaurants or at home with family and friends. Chefs, home cooks, servers, and bartenders work so hard to make food and the space for people to gather. For a little while at least we put away the phones and have actual conversations.

The photos I’ve included capture the evening pretty well, but I didn’t come close to conveying the massive effort that goes into a pop up like this. Finding a location, marketing, cooking the food, hiring a team, etc. Imagine planning something like that while also working a full-time job.