OUR MISSION

At Maya Congee Café, we strive to nourish beyond the body. We nurture our belonging, creativity, and soul. Our congee and rituals are rooted in tradition yet designed for modern life, offering comfort, balance, and a sense of home. Our work carries the intention to heal, to inspire, and to reconnect us to community, culture, and inner peace.

FOUNDER’S STORY

Layla Chen founded Maya Congee Cafe as a new mother to Maya in 2017. The cafe is named after her daughter, a symbol of preserving Chinese heritage and inspiring a new generation of daughters. Born in Guangzhou, China and raised in Honolulu, HI as a first-generation Chinese American, Layla followed her parents’ prescribed path from college to corporate office to ensure stability and security. Over the years she honed broad skills across different business environments, but ultimately returned to food to fuel her creative soul. At her family’s dinner table, food was always the conversation – eating, sharing, critiquing with her father who was both a humble cook and a musician. Those meals created a sense of belonging, a place she could fit into.

The transition into entrepreneurship was not easy after years of comfortable office chairs. Corporate work often drained the soul and left energy mistranslated and underappreciated. Running a café required full responsibility, but also allowed her to seek heart centered decisions at every touchpoint. It demanded thinking beyond herself, because the place could not only be for her, it also had to be for someone else too. “Do I feel good about this?” became the guiding question in every decision. The answer led to work that was deeply soul-led.

Through Maya Congee Cafe, Layla discovered her higher purpose, her people, and ultimately her true spirit. She sees her path as one of harmony, healing, and belonging – using voice, creativity, and nurturing spaces to help others feel seen, safe, and connected.

Her story can serve as a reminder: when you step fully into something, you may be surprised where you end up, and it may be more profound than you ever imagined.

In front of 1013 Fulton Street for Demo Day, Fall 2024.

Sitting at 563 Gates Ave in Spring 2019.

A rare photo of our family restaurant in Guangzhou, China, 1980s.

WHO WE ARE, HOW WE GOT HERE

COMPANY CULTURE

GRATITUDE

HISTORY OF 563 GATES