It’s been nearly 13 years since Joan Chastain and Shannon Countryman began Ingle Eats. Now, the beloved local meal service is getting a new owner. And the founders believe Chase Lyons is perfect for the job.

Chastain and Countryman started Ingle Eats out of their home kitchens in 2012 with the simple goal of helping families spend more quality time together around the table, enjoying home-cooked meals. Named for the road their homes share—Ingleside Drive—the thriving meal service has become a staple for many Baton Rouge residents. As the duo enters new chapters in their lives—from marriages to grandchildren—they are passing the spatula and Ingle Eats ownership to restaurateur Chase Lyons.

“We’re not getting any younger,” Chastain says with a laugh, and Countryman agrees. “We want to be able to give more time and attention to these new chapters, and the business is right for selling.”

The trio made it official on New Year’s Day at City Hall, where Lyons was shocked to find around 20 of Countryman and Chastain’s family members waiting outside, popping bottles of Champagne and sporting Ingle Eats T-shirts.

“They were all just very proud of their mothers and what they have created,” Lyons says. “It’s a testament to the both of them and the family, friendship and business they built.” Chastain and Countryman say they were all waiting to meet their new family member because that’s what it means to join Ingle Eats. “I’m sure they were also celebrating the fact that they will get y’all full-time at home from now on,” Lyons says jokingly.

Lyons is moving forward with the same goal that started Ingle Eats. He is eager to continue the legacy of the ladies who founded the community-based service for home-cooked meal deliveries, which has become a go-to for so many.

“We really do have similar hospitality visions,” Lyons explains. “We all show our love and hospitality through great food. And the core of Ingle Eats will remain the same—bringing families back to the table by providing quality and convenience through delivery meal service.”

Lyons says he hopes to eventually expand by adding an additional delivery day, extending to other zip codes, and adding more catering options. “But for now, we’re still getting our feet on the ground,” he says. “And we’ll always come back to that home-cooked, good for the soul, feeding the family around the table food service because that’s just who we are.”

Learn more about Lyons’ plans for Ingle Eats in this Q&A from 225 magazine.