Dishing With Diane: J's Breakfast Club in Gary

GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- We are back exploring your favorite breakfast spots!

Our 3rd stop- J's Breakfast Club in Gary Indiana, dubbed the best breakfast in Gary!

You suggested it, and here we are! This is J's Breakfast Club in Gary Indiana.

For years J's has been serving up home cooked, homemade meals made with love.

Here at J's Breakfast Club in Gary Indiana you'll get all of the good eats, from chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes to salmon cakes using old family recipes from Alabama.

What comes along with each and every meal is love.

"It's great," customer Melda Clark said. "I love it, yeah. First time here the food is good we will definitely be back."

SEE ALSO: Dishing With Diane: Citrus Diner in Westmont

Owner Joslyn Kelly's triumph though, began with tragedy.

A senior in college, Joslyn and her new baby boy were managing things on their own for many years, until she knew it was time to come home to Gary.

She put her son through high school. He then decided after graduating, he would enlist in the Army.

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In 2014, she knew something wasn't right.

"I got a very eerie text from him, and something in my spirit said call him," Kelly said.

She did, and talked him through his rough day, not knowing that would be the last time they would ever speak.

"He said to me, 'Mom, I love you but I'm done living,'" Kelly said.

At just nineteen and a half years old, Jalyn took his own life, driving his car into the water near Fort Campbell Kentucky.

The hardship wasn't over. Six months later, Joslyn lost her job.

She needed a break and started to travel. On that journey ... an epiphany.

"Everywhere I went was a breakfast club and I said, 'OK God I got it,'" Kelly said. "I came back home that October and opened up J's Breakfast Club."

Now in a new building, just off of 80/94, J's breakfast club is always serving up delicious meals, smoothies and J-Mimosas as they are lovingly called. All in Joslyn's hometown.

"I've really felt I've been blessed by everything that I've gotten from Gary and with that I want to give it to people back," Kelly said.

And she is not done yet. She plans to expand her business, in Indiana and beyond, honoring her son along the way.

"I think he would be very proud," Kelly said. "I would hope he would say good job mom, good job."

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact 9-8-8, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It runs 24/7. You can call, text or message at any time.

As for Joslyn, when she's not at her breakfast club, she also works with the community to engage and inspire residents to make positive changes to Gary and create opportunities for future generations.