Some people follow a blueprint. Others create one. Hanz Fequiere is the latter.
A firefighter turned healthcare CEO, and now the owner of Atlanta’s comfort food hotspot & Cheese at Lenox Square, Fequiere proves that success doesn’t come from doing what’s expected — it comes from daring to do things differently.
Breaking Barriers in Healthcare
Fequiere’s story didn’t start in boardrooms or classrooms. With just one year of college, he spent nearly a decade with the Henry County Fire Department before deciding he wanted more control of his time — and his future.
“Being in the fire department, you had to ask permission to live your life,” he said. “Permission to take vacation. Permission to see your kids’ soccer games. It was like being paid to sit in prison.”
So he made a bold move: he bought his first ambulance for $5,000 and launched a company that grew to six ambulances and a team that included doctors. That flip — from public service to private ownership — was the seed of The Healthcare CEO, his mentorship brand now helping others, especially people of color, build their own businesses in the medical industry without years of schooling.
“I want people to know they can create their own path in healthcare,” Fequiere said. “You don’t need a degree to own. You just need the vision and the work ethic.”
Carrying a Family Dream With & Cheese
But entrepreneurship for Fequiere is about more than just healthcare. Walk through Lenox Square, and you’ll find his other venture: & Cheese, a restaurant serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with soul.
The restaurant was born from the imagination of his late cousin, Chef Marvin Tir, who spent three decades in the culinary world.
“Marvin started making grilled cheeses for his girlfriend one day, and just kept experimenting,” Fequiere recalled. “Next thing you know, he had nine incredible sandwiches. When he passed three years ago, I knew I had to carry the dream forward.”
For Fequiere, & Cheese is more than a restaurant. It’s a space for comfort, connection, and honoring family legacy.
“My favorite sandwich is the Beltline,” he grinned. “Smoked turkey and cranberry aioli. I’ve been stuck on it for five years. It’s that good.”
Building the Future, One Bite at a Time
Today, Fequiere is balancing two brands that seem worlds apart but share the same philosophy: ownership, legacy, and community.
By 2026, he envisions & Cheese expanding into three locations in Atlanta, with plans to franchise nationally after that.
“God willing, we’ll grow,” he said. “This is about creating something that lasts. Whether it’s helping people own in healthcare or giving them a place to enjoy comfort food, it’s all the same — it’s about impact.”
A Blueprint of His Own
Hanz Fequiere’s story is proof that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to look one way. You can pivot, reinvent, and honor multiple passions at once. You can lead doctors without a medical degree. You can turn grilled cheese into a movement.
And most importantly, you can build a life that doesn’t require asking for permission.
Because for Fequiere, success is simple: create your own lane — and invite others to eat, grow, and dream with you along the way.,
