A Look At The Cook: Rich "Doc" Chey

 Photo by LeAnn Shaw

The medical field’s loss was noodle lovers’ gain after Rich “Doc” Chey dropped out of medical school to pursue his dream of opening a restaurant. In 1997, he and partner Brook Messina opened the first Doc Chey’s Asian Kitchen in Virginia-Highland and Chey hasn’t looked back since.

Doc Chey’s affordable Pan-Asian cuisine was an instant hit, and locations have now popped up in Emory Village, Athens and Asheville, N.C. Chey, 40, will branch out into franchising his restaurants with locations opening this fall in Vinings, Sandy Springs, Tampa and Greenville, N.C. Chey’s Osteria 812 in Virgina-Highland, serving up pizzas and Italian fare, has become a favorite with families.

   Along with Chey’s busy work schedule, he’s found time to give back to the community through charitable works, including participating in the annual Dining Out for Life event that raises money for AIDS research. He organized more than 100 restaurants for the Dine-Out for Tsunami Relief this past spring, which raised more than $80,000 to help survivors of the Asian disaster. He was also the man behind the Cunnard Benefit Dinner, which raised $20,000 to build a playground in Virginia-Highland. Chey has created Operation Noodlebowl, which will be used as the fundraising arm for Doc Chey’s and the franchises.

   Chey was busy all summer ushering in the franchise locations, but said he’s hoping to spend more time with wife, Maura, and their two daughters. Chey took time out from getting ready to help open the Sandy Springs Doc Chey’s to talk about his transition from doctor to “Doc.”

How did you come up with the concept for Doc Chey’s?
We actually opened Highland Bagel first, and had two locations before Doc Chey’s was created. I grew up in the Northeast in Philadelphia and upstate New York, and there were ethnic neighborhoods were you could go and get this amazing food for next to nothing and were family-friendly. I wanted fast food that was more than just burgers.

The menu at Doc Chey’s is melange of Asian styles. Was that on purpose?
Pan-Asian is more than just one kind of food, and I wanted a wide variety of flavors like the kind I had eaten through my childhood.

What are your favorite foods?
Everyone always laughs, but I love Asian, Italian and bagels. That’s why I opened the restaurants. I’m a big fan of pasta and pizza.

Restaurants come and go in Atlanta at a fairly rapid pace. What’s the secret to Doc Chey’s longevity?
I don’t have any formal culinary training, so I try to make practical decisions about what the customer would want to eat and not let my ego get in the way. Keeping it fresh and affordable is the main thing.

Despite the lack of culinary training, do you still actively participate in the kitchen?
I like to get in the kitchen and throw things together and develop the menu to meet what the diners want. Although I still need to hone my pizza-making skills.

What’s in your fridge at home?
Yogurt, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, dressings – always something to make up a good salad. I also keep plenty of bottled water.

Since you’re not a doctor, why “Doc?”
Most of my family is in the medical field. My dad’s a doctor and my mother’s a nurse. I was pre-med, but I decided it wasn’t for me, which I know was disappointment. The “Doc” in Doc Chey’s is a peace offering and a tribute to my dad and the rest of my family.

The new Doc Chey’s Noodle House opens this month at City Walk shopping center in Sandy Springs, 227 Sandy Springs Place, Bld. 700, Suite 100. Visit www.doccheys.com.