It’s a family affair at Sunshine Chicken & Seafood. New owners and twin sisters Jewel Nguyen and Jade Nguyen reopened the space this past October, serving up just what the name implies—but with their own flair and family recipes.
Jewel and Jade took ownership of Sunshine Chicken & Seafood on Jefferson Highway in 2024 from its previous owners, who had operated the eatery since 2023. In just a few months, the siblings have been working to expand and upgrade the menu with new recipes, house-made sauces and batters, Asian-inspired menu items and more.
So far, the sisters have received plenty of positive reviews from customers both old and new, making it a bit of a local hidden gem.
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“Growing up, everyone that knows me knows that we always cooked at home, and we were asked to sell our food and stuff like that,” Jade says. “We would joke around and say, ‘Oh, we’re going to open a restaurant one day.’ … We had a family friend who wanted to sell this space. So we’re like, it’s the perfect opportunity.”
Originally from Massachusetts, Jewel and Jade made the move to the Capital Region to be closer to family. Since coming to Baton Rouge, Jewel has gained experience at local restaurants, and Jade is working to open a nail salon in Gonzales.
“I always loved cooking,” Jewel says. “I have kids now, and I definitely love cooking for family. I found that cooking is like my love language.”
Inside the small eatery, patrons can sit at tables to wait for their made-to-order meals. Behind the counter, menus are alight with a list of offerings like fried chicken wings and Vietnamese iced coffees. Sunny yellow pops of color accent the walls, a nod to the restaurant’s cheery name. Trending radio hits from artists like Sabrina Carpenter bump through the speakers.
On the menu, crispy chicken wings, butterflied shrimp and catfish strips are customer favorites, according to the sisters. East Coast-inspired items like thin, crispy seafood egg rolls and applesauce-based duck sauce pay homage to the duo’s Boston roots. Combos are served with a seafood egg roll and a choice of fried rice, stir-fry noodles or fries. Jade says offering combos allows customers to get a little taste of everything.
Before Jade and Jewel became owners, Sunshine served snoballs. The sisters opted to take the icy treats off the menu and instead offer milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies, lemonades and Vietnamese iced coffees.
The sisters enhanced prior menu items by making their own frying batters and using their family’s all-purpose seasoning. They make their own sauces and drinks, and they cook every dish upon order.
As summer approaches, Jade says the menu will expand to include some non-fried options, per customers’ requests. Grilled shrimp and chicken skewers along with salads have already debuted, for those looking for lighter options. The owners have even taken inspiration from local cuisine and added po-boys, a dish the sisters admit they hadn’t heard of before moving to the South. Aside from attracting customers with tasty options, Jade says Sunshine’s customer service has also made quite an impression.
“It’s just my twin sister and I that run this,” Jade says. “I get a lot of feedback, like, ‘When I come here, I feel so welcomed,’ and ‘It doesn’t feel like you guys are just trying to sell food and drink.’ That’s a big thing for me. I kind of look at it like a small community I’m building.”
Despite sharing a love for cooking and food, and their childhoods jokes, the sisters share that they never truly thought they’d be opening a restaurant together.
“It’s our first business together,” Jade says. “That was always a big dream of ours, because we both have different passions in our careers. So, being able to come together as twins and open our first business together was an opportunity that we took.”
Jewel says it’s also brought them closer together.
“Knowing that we were able to work side by side together, and it’s going great, kind of hooked us,” she says. “We got each other. And nothing’s impossible.”
The sisters help serve customers inside the eatery every day. Jade handles the restaurant’s marketing and business side, while Jewel works in the kitchen. Together, they work to come up with new menu items and ensure their customers are satisfied by their meals and the overall experience.
They also serve their food outside of the restaurant, participating in pop-ups around town. Next up: The sisters will be slinging their staples at Night Market BTR on Saturday, May 10.
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Besides providing customer-approved dishes and service with a smile, Jewel and Jade hope their restaurant endeavor helps them to continue their family’s legacy through homestyle cooking techniques from their mother, while also providing opportunities for the next generation.
In the future, the Nguyens want to continue expanding the menu and building relationships with the community. Jade shares that they hope to even expand to other areas in the Capital Region, like Ascension Parish.
Sunshine Chicken & Seafood is at 9878 Jefferson Highway. Its hours of operation are Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
