Featured Image: Mechele and Quincey Porter, owners of The Food Genie, on Feb. 20, 2026. (Pacer Photo / Miranda Conrad)

Before Quincey Porter was serving the Martin, Tennessee community his best soul food dishes and specialty burgers, he was selling $6 plates out of his mother-in-law’s living room in Memphis.

On July 21, 2025, Martin gained a restaurant that would positively impact the community in more ways than one. Mechele and Quincey Porter, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, are the owners of The Food Genie. While the restaurant might be new to Martin, The Food Genie has been serving people since 2017.

The couple started by selling $6 plates out of Mechele’s mother’s living room. At the time, Quincey balanced his job with leading Bible studies, workout classes and mentoring sessions, all in the same day.

“One day, a guy made a joke. He said, ‘Man, you’re sort of like a genie,’” Quincey said. The name “The Food Genie” was born.

Selling plates out of the living room lasted for two months. Then, in 2018, they rented a kitchen area inside a BP Gas Station in Memphis. They were there for one year before deciding to sell the store and relocate to Martin, but it would still be a few years before Martin got its own location.

In 2020, the Porter’s opened their first sitting location in Trezevant, Tennessee. They were there until they moved to Union City, Tennessee, in 2022. The Union City location was limited in size, so the couple eventually decided to close it down in 2024 and focus strictly on catering. Around this time, the current location at 120 Hurt Street was a vacant building.

“Matter of fact, he actually prayed on this parking lot, two or three years ago, when it was empty,” said Mechele. A few years later, the prayer was answered when the building became available.

Since moving to the Hurt Street location almost a year ago, The Food Genie has quickly become a local favorite. Students, staff, families and even Chancellor Yancy Freeman and his family frequent the restaurant. As a University of Tennessee at Martin alumna, Mechele is happy to offer UT Martin students and staff a 10% discount on their orders.

“Students love ‘The Genie Burger,’” Mechele said. “It’s bacon, egg and cheese on a burger with sauce.”

Quincey has a newfound favorite called the “Philadelphia Burger.”

“It’s a double cheeseburger with a Philly cheese steak on top, and bacon and egg on top of that,” said Quincey. “It’s a monster burger.”

Customers love Quincey’s food so much that The Food Genie has catered for events such as birthdays, weddings, corporate dinners and school lunches. The restaurant’s success is largely due to the supportive relationship that Mechele and Quincey have. Mechele keeps the front of the store organized by taking orders and ensuring everything is correct; meanwhile, Quincey gets to the restaurant early to begin making the food. In total, a team of seven keeps the restaurant running smoothly.

“I have a newfound respect for others when I go to other places to sit down and eat,” Quincey said. “If I have a long wait period, it’s not that big of a deal because I understand.”

Quincey, who has earned himself the nickname “The Genie,” holds multiple roles outside of the restaurant. He is also a minister at Visions Community Baptist Church in Union City. This leads many people to come to the restaurant for prayer, rather than just a meal.

“They ask, ‘Can you pray for me?’ and he wraps up his food, and he’ll come over there and pray,” said Mechele.

The Food Genie’s community impact doesn’t stop there. They also donate to the Captain’s Pantry at UT Martin, including recently donating 32 emergency food boxes to be distributed to pantries on campus. Students and those in need can also come into the restaurant to receive boxes.

To celebrate their first anniversary of being in Martin, there will be a ribbon-cutting at The Food Genie on July 17, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. with the Martin Business Association and the Weakley County Chamber of Commerce.