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About us
General Tso's Organization is the community arm of General Tso's Restaurant & Catering, run by NextGen Impact Georgia Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We help small business owners modernize, grow and put down roots.
Patrick's story
“Thousands of family-owned restaurants struggle due to outdated systems and limited access to resources. We want to change that—through mentorship, technology, and community.”
In 2020, Patrick Cheng bought a struggling Chinese restaurant in Dunwoody, Georgia. The pandemic had just closed his rental business, and he had moved his family from Chicago to Duluth for a more stable life. He knew food. He did not yet have the systems to grow.
Free courses from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready changed that. Patrick learned about AI, digital marketing, branding and operations, then put it all to work: a better POS system, loyalty programs, automated promotions and bilingual SOPs written with AI. Within a few months, average daily revenue more than doubled.
Today, General Tso's Restaurant & Catering can produce up to 200 meals per hour from an 800 sq. ft. kitchen. Patrick and his team started this nonprofit to share what worked with small business owners and family-owned restaurants, especially owners who face language or cultural barriers.
His goal is simple: build systems that scale, create jobs and lift up communities, one entrepreneur at a time. Read Patrick's story.
Milestones
From a family move to Duluth, to a run-down restaurant rebuilt as a catering kitchen, to a nonprofit that helps other owners do the same.
Before 2020
Patrick Cheng comes from a family with a background in food service. He earned a degree in business administration and spent more than 15 years in food distribution.
Source: Empowered Entrepreneur Magazine, January 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Early 2020
Just after his son was born, Patrick moved his family from Chicago to Duluth, Georgia, for a more stable life. That year, the pandemic shut down his short-term rental business.
Source: Empowered Entrepreneur Magazine, January 2025 (opens in a new tab)
2020
Patrick bought a run-down Chinese restaurant in Dunwoody, Georgia. It became General Tso's, and he turned it into a high-volume catering kitchen.
Turning point
Patrick took more than a dozen free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready courses on AI, digital marketing, branding and operations. He upgraded his POS system, added loyalty programs and automated promotions, and used AI to build SOPs and training manuals.
By 2025
General Tso's could produce up to 200 meals per hour from an 800 sq. ft. kitchen, and average daily revenue had more than doubled. It was certified with the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, and Fooda named it Team Player of the Year.
Source: Empowered Entrepreneur Magazine, January 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Dec 2024
The IRS recognized NextGen Impact Georgia Inc., the nonprofit behind General Tso's Organization, as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
Source: IRS exempt organization record (via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) (opens in a new tab)
Jan 2025
In Empowered Entrepreneur Magazine, Patrick shared his plan for NextGen Impact Georgia: bilingual training, business systems and grant resources for small business owners, especially those who run family-owned restaurants.
Source: Empowered Entrepreneur Magazine, January 2025 (opens in a new tab)
May 2025
A press release announced NextGen Impact, a nonprofit initiative for minority entrepreneurs and small business owners who face language or cultural barriers.
Aug 2025
General Tso's launched GeneralTsos.org to expand its community giving and to support community organizations, minority-owned businesses and small business owners.
Fall 2025
General Tso's provided a gourmet meal at the Seniors in Motion DeKalb County Senior Prom, sponsored A Taste of East Memorial Drive and launched "We Serve Those Who Serve" for furloughed government employees.
Source: The Hype Magazine, September 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Aug 2026
Verizon News told Patrick's story, from his first free courses to the AI tools that now help with training, onboarding and customer service at General Tso's.
Today
As of October 2026, General Tso's has donated more than 19,000 meals, our volunteers have given 189 hours and we have helped 5 businesses. Membership is free until 2028, and new members are welcome.
Why we exist
General Tso's Organization helps small businesses modernize and scale. Through technology adoption, financial training and marketing support, we help entrepreneurs compete, become more profitable and grow roots in their local communities.
To equip small business owners with accessible digital tools, operational systems and bilingual business mentorship.
Innovation. Growth. Community.
Core values
Equity, efficiency, legacy and integrity shape how we teach, mentor and give.
Every owner deserves fair access to tools, training and funding, whatever language they speak.
Simple systems save time and money, so we teach what works in a busy kitchen.
We help families build businesses they can pass on to the next generation.
We are honest about what we can and cannot do, and we keep our word.
Our founding partner
General Tso's Restaurant & Catering is where this started. In 2020, Patrick Cheng took over a struggling restaurant in Dunwoody and rebuilt it into a high-volume catering kitchen that can turn out up to 200 meals an hour from 800 square feet.
More than a dozen free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready courses, new systems and AI tools changed the business. Today General Tso's shares that know-how, and its meals, with the community, delivering results "with speed, heart, and purpose."
General Tso's Restaurant & CateringDunwoody, Georgia, since 2020
Recognition
Much of what we teach, our founding partner lived first. General Tso's Restaurant & Catering has earned certification, honors and grants, and it is connected with chambers and business groups across metro Atlanta.
In the news
Grow with us
Owners join free. Partners, volunteers and donors help us reach more of them.
