---
title: Our Story — The Juarez Family Behind Kanami
canonical: "https://ka-nami.com/our-story/"
description: "From Mang-kuk in 2019 to Kanami in 2025, this is how the Juarez family rebuilt their Filipino restaurant in Aurora, IL."
---

# Our Story — The Juarez Family Behind Kanami

It all began in December 2019, when the Juarez family opened their first restaurant, Mang-kuk.[^story-old-site-story] Jasper, the eldest son of Joe and Sha, ran it alongside his brother Joshua. Mang-kuk brought heartfelt Filipino flavors to the community.

Then the world changed. Through the COVID pandemic, Mang-kuk stood strong as a symbol of family, resilience, and hope. In July 2022, the doors closed, and a season of uncertainty followed.

From hardship came a new beginning. In June 2025, Kanami was born. It celebrated its grand opening on August 10, 2025.[^story-old-site-faqs] Its name carries the family's spirit of renewal. It also carries the hospitality, joy, and warmth they set out to share from the start.

Kanami carries the heart of [J&S](https://ka-nami.com/our-story/#jns). Every smile is genuine, every guest feels at home, and every dish tells a story.

[^story-old-site-story]: Previous ka-nami.com Our Story page
[^story-old-site-faqs]: Previous ka-nami.com FAQs page

## Timeline

- **2019-12** — The Juarez family opens Mang-kuk, their first restaurant.
- **2022-07** — Mang-kuk closes its doors.
- **2025-06** — Kanami is born.
- **2025-08-10** — Kanami celebrates its grand opening.

## J&S – The Filipino Store

J&S – The Filipino Store is Kanami's partner company. Find them on Instagram at @jnspinoy and on Facebook as J & S Pinoy. [Kanami](https://ka-nami.com/contact/) is a J&S company.[^jns-jns-menu-page]

[^jns-jns-menu-page]: Digital Menu back page

Source of truth: https://ka-nami.com/knowledge/index.md (Open Knowledge Format v0.2).