» Grace 2009 Restaurateur of the Year

Grace 2009 Restaurateur of the Year

Winner: Hank Clark, partner, Marlow ‘s Tavern

A 23-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Hank Clark has served as Market Partner for Aqua Blue and Marlow’s Tavern since 2002.

Clark studied business administration at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK, and began his restaurant career with Brinkers International. Seven years ago, he teamed up with John Metz, chef and co-owner of Marlow’s Tavern and Aqua Blue, to launch and run the two successful concepts in the Atlanta area.

“I fell in love with the daily action that takes place in restaurants,” says Clark, who adds that creating the Marlow’s Tavern concept has been his greatest achievement. “To take something from a blank piece of paper to a place where thousands of people enjoy great food and beverage daily is a great feeling.”

Clark is dedicated to the development of the Atlanta-area foodservice industry. He sits on the GRA and GRA-PAC board of directors and is also Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee. He has also leveraged his business success to help the Special Olympics over the years and champions political advocacy within the restaurant industry.

“I am trying to give back as much as I can to our industry,” Clark says. “I have been blessed by having been surrounded by people that have given their time and money to help me be successful. Now I am at the place in my career where I am able to give back and help the next generation of leaders in our industry.”

Major trends for 2010: “Restaurants must continue to offer great value for their services. Personalizing guests’ experiences and getting to know your loyal base, as well as new guests, will become more and more important. In tough economic times, people are very intolerant of mediocre experiences, so a stronger focus on daily execution must happen,” Clark says.

Most rewarding part of his career: “Seeing so many of our hourly employees become leaders in our management ranks. We promise an opportunity to grow and advance within our company, and seeing people take advantage of that opportunity makes me tremendously happy,” he adds.

Advice to those just starting out: “Find great mentors and set a plan for advancement with them. Learning how to set goals and how to go after them daily with measurable results is key to advancement. If someone wants a career in the restaurant industry, I would also recommend a culinary degree. Even if your aspirations aren’t to become a chef, having great knowledge of food is something you can use to jump ahead of everyone you are competing with,” he says.

What motivates him: “I am motivated by the desire to succeed. I know that if I don’t give my best daily, I am letting hundreds of our people down. They expect great things from our leadership team, and I wake up daily thinking about that.”

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