CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A Navy veteran who used to be a church pastor now uses a Chesapeake diner to serve up his ministry.
Joe McGourn, who has owned the Sunrise Breakfast Shoppe for nearly 30 years, is known as “Pastor Joe,” and he provides food for the body and food for the soul. He gets plenty of regulars in his place — some just looking for eggs over easy, others looking to tackle hard times.
Check the menu at Sunrise and you’ll find plenty of variety from New England, New Orleans, and some — try the lumpia — from his wife Veronica’s native country, the Philippines.
Among the regulars is USMC veteran Thomas Sweeney, who says he comes “practically every day.” He just leaves the choice of what to eat up to the staff.
“Many times I’ll come in here and just say fix me a breakfast,” Sweeney said.
McGourn stepped down from the pulpit 10 years ago.
“I was in church one Sunday and I looked around and I’m like, ‘This is not my calling,’” said McGourn, who served for 24 years in the Navy. “My calling is outside the church. …