The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) announced the selection of Karen Bremer as Executive Director. With over 35 years in the hospitality industry, Bremer will take leadership of the association representing one of the largest industries in the state.

Bremer will succeed Charles Hoff, who has served as Interim CEO since March of this year. Hoff will continue to serve as the GRA’s General Counsel and member of the GRA Executive Committee. “This is truly an exciting time for the GRA and Georgia’s Restaurant Industry,” said Hoff. “Karen has been a pivotal part of the development of the GRA as an organization and is a true leader in the hospitality industry. Her professional arch and personal passion for the GRA make her a great fit for this role.”

Bremer’s tenure in the hospitality industry includes serving as President of Peasant Restaurant, Inc., a multi-unit, high visibility city-wide operation. Bremer then bought two of the Peasant Restaurants, Dailey’s and City Grill, and began her own hospitality company. Although due to the recession both restaurants closed in 2009, Bremer was recognized that same year with the Lifetime Achievement GRACE (Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence) Award for her outstanding contributions to Georgia’s Restaurant Industry.

Bremer is a founding member of the GRA, Past President of the GRA Board and has served on the board of directors for the National Restaurant Association, Atlanta Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (ACVB) and Team Georgia. She has garnered numerous awards including the ACVB Member of the Year Award in 2002 for her role in founding Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week.

“Having Karen Bremer assume the role as leader of the GRA is incredibly important,” said George McKerrow, who is a founding GRA member and President and CEO of Ted’s Montana Grill, Inc. “In this challenging time for our industry, having a strong state restaurant association is more important than ever before. As the cornerstone of the state’s revenue base, the health and well-being of our restaurant industry is imperative. With Karen at the helm, our voice will be heard – and it will be strong.”

Bob Amick and Todd Rushing, co-founders of Concentrics Restaurants, announce their decision to dissolve Concentrics’ partnership with Jonathan St. Hilaire and BAKESHOP.  St. Hilaire will operate BAKESHOP under internal management.

“We sincerely enjoyed working with Jonathan St. Hilaire and assisting in the success of BAKESHOP,” states Bob Amick, owner of Concentrics Restaurants. “We were pleased to maintain a relationship with him for so many years and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

St. Hilaire worked as the Executive Pastry Chef for all of Concentrics’ Restaurants until 2009, when he partnered with Concentrics in the opening of BAKESHOP. The Midtown boulangerie and patisserie offers breads, croissants, cakes, quiches, sandwiches, salads and brewed coffees. The concept operates in true European style—baking batches throughout the day for both wholesale and retail offerings.

Classically trained at the French Culinary Institute, St. Hilaire’s resume lists culinary positions in New York City including Terrance Brennan’s Picholine, Payard’s Patisserie and Bistro, Bouley Bakery and Danny Meyer’s Eleven Madison Park. And in Atlanta, Hilaire worked in at 1848 House, Canoe, Spice, The Four Seasons Hotel, Executive Chef of the Westeye Group, and as Executive Pastry chef at Woodfire Grill. St. Hilaire was recently selected to be on the advisory board for Le Cordon Bleu, a worldwide leader in gastronomy, hospitality and management.

Concentrics Restaurants, founded in 2002 by Bob Amick and Todd Rushing, specializes in chef-driven culinary destinations including ONE. midtown kitchen, TWO urban licks, TAP, PARISH Foods & Goods, Murphy’s, Lobby at TWELVE, Room at TWELVE and  LUMA on Park. The company offers a full-service development and management team and has partnered with Murphy’s Restaurant, Sports Radio 790 The Zone, Legacy Property Group, France Developments, The Novare Group and ECD Company.

St. Hilaire recently participated in Restaurant Forum’s April 2010 Chef’s Roundtable cover story.

Legendary Partners of Atlanta, the newly-selected culinary service partner to The Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, announced that Gary Mennie has joined The Woodruff Arts Center as Executive Chef. The Woodruff Arts Center houses four arts organizations – Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art, and Young Audiences.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Mennie trained under French master chefs at Maxime’s of New York and West Hollywood’s L’Orangerie, before joining the kitchen at Spago. Among the youngest chefs to achieve Mobil Four Star Status — during his ten-year tenure at Canoe restaurant in Atlanta — Mennie has established a reputation for translating local farm-to-table concepts into upscale and elegant cuisine. His resume in Atlanta also includes opening Taurus and serving as the Executive Chef at The Livingston Restaurant at the Georgian Terrace Hotel.

Legendary Partners of Atlanta is scheduled to begin services at The Woodruff Arts Center in the fall of 2010. Among its plans are a refreshed restaurant concept, enhancements to public food offerings, and offering an array of special event catering choices. The company isa a collaboration between A Legendary Event and Centerplate. Legendary Partners of Atlanta’s Tony Conway said, “We are thrilled to welcome Chef Gary… He will bring a fresh new dining experience to this landmark facility.”

Serving 250 entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America, including 21 performing arts centers, Centerplate is a hospitality company based out Stamford, Conn.

Huddle House announced the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Phil Greifeld. Huddle House, Inc., is an Atlanta-based 400-plus-location full-service family diner chain. The 46-year-old franchise has locations in 19 U.S. states, primarily in the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest.

Greifeld joined Huddle House in 1995 and spent nearly 12 years leading the Huddle House brand as its CEO. Greifeld stepped down from his role as President and CEO to pursue other opportunities.

Ken Keymer, current Huddle House Board Director and former CEO of VICORP Restaurants, Inc. (parent company of Village Inn and Baker’s Square) and former CEO of AFC Enterprises, (parent company of Popeyes’ Famous Fried Chicken) will take over as interim CEO.

Huddle House ended its fiscal July with a 3.5 percent same store sales increase in its franchised stores as well as a 2.1 percent increase in its Company Store Division.

The restaurant chain also released its new prototypes at its annual franchise convention. Two options have been released: A retro fit model that existing franchisees can apply to exteriors and interiors while expanding menus offerings, and a new larger prototype that showcases the evolution of the American diner, featuring a deeper menu including home meal replacement options; preemptive cooking technology; new interior and exterior color schemes; and the first ever Huddle Thru (drive-thru).

Concentrics Restaurants has made an iPhone app available to the public through the iTunes App Store.

The app provides users the following capabilities:

> One click reservations
> Directions from your current location
> Gift card purchasing
> Event Details
> Live Facebook and Twitter feeds

The app was developed by MobileSect, based out of Atlanta and it took 3 months to develop.  Concentrics is also researching an app for the Android smart phone platform.

The most popular features of the app so far are the reservations and location look-up through the app’s link with Google Maps.

Taqueria del Sol has established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Taqueria del Sol Development, LLC (TDSD), to franchise its ten-year old restaurant brand.

The restaurant’s menu is driven by southwestern cuisine, Taqueria del Sol has a full bar in each location and offers an expansive list of tequilas, specialty margaritas and a “build-your-own margarita” option.

Bill Burnett has been named president and chief operating officer of TDSD. Burnett is an industry veteran, having worked for 38 years in executive capacities with a number of companies including Houston’s, Roy’s Restaurants, and The Capital Grille, as well as having five years experience in franchise operations.

Founder and Taqueria del Sol Chief Executive Officer Mike Klank retains control of the four existing company-owned restaurants and the company’s purchasing, manufacturing and distribution operation for future franchise restaurants. Klank came to Atlanta to attend Georgia Institute of Technology, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and then later went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University. Klank oversees the day-to-day operations and business development.

Klank remarked, “Over the past several years, we have fielded many calls regarding franchising. We plan to be very selective in the awarding of franchises and will insist franchisees have prior operating experience, combined with the necessary financial resources to support a successful program.”

Franchises will be offered for both new, build-to-suit restaurants and conversion of other restaurants to Taqueria del Sols.  Multi-unit development, with only rare exceptions for single-unit development, will be offered in selected markets, namely metropolitan areas, to qualified franchisees. All existing and future locations within the state of Georgia will be company-owned. Taqueria del Sol will not
provide nor guarantee any financing but will refer qualified franchisees to financial institutions.

Eddie Hernandez, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, is the Corporate Chef. He spends a large part of his time researching new ways to combine ingredients and concepts. Favorite dishes at Taqueria del Sol include the fish taco, the shrimp and corn chowder, and the turnip greens.

Taqueria del Sol has three locations in Atlanta and one in Athens, Georgia.

More casual dining restaurants open in Atlanta as fine dining restaurants continue to struggle.  And, yes, one of them specializes in hamburgers…

US Cafe, a family-owned establishment opened near Lindbergh Center in Atlanta’s Buckhead area in July. The restaurant is 3,400 square feet with 148 seats. It offers a full bar, 8 wide screen televisions, pool tables and arcade.

US Cafe is a fast casual restaurant with three locations around Metro Atlanta.  The Smyrna location has been in business for more than 20 years.

US Cafe specializes in freshly made hamburgers. The hand-formed patties are made with 100 percent pure Creekstone Farms Black Angus Ground Chuck. The restaurant charges $3.49 for a premium burger. Additional menu items include: salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, hot dogs and wings.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe, an eclectic neighborhood restaurant chain announced the opening of its newest location in Roswell.   The new restaurant marks the second location owned by local franchisee Barbara Juhan, who opened a Flying Biscuit in Sandy Springs last year.

“The Sandy Springs location has proved to exceed our expectations and we look forward to bringing the eclectic, charming atmosphere to the tight-knight community of Roswell,” says Juhan. “Community involvement is very important to me,” explains Juhan, who plans to immerse the restaurant into the Roswell community including participation in Roswell’s “Alive After 5″ gatherings every Thursday.

Taco Bueno Restaurants, the 43-year-old Tex-Mex quick-service chain is expanding its franchise program, opening up specific areas in the Southern, Midwest, and Central Southwest regions. The chain recently unveiled a series of new restaurant designs. The franchise recently implemented a new site selection model developed by Buxton, a Fort Worth-based consumer analytics firm. The model provides franchisees  access to data to help evaluate potential new trade areas.

The two most recent openings of the latest prototype are located in the Tulsa area.

The new look features a fast-casual atmosphere with Southwestern design elements, including stone and wrought-iron accents. Guests can observe Taco Bueno’s scratch preparation through a specially-designed window into the kitchen.

Founded in 1967 in Abilene, Texas, Taco Bueno has nearly 190 locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Concentrics Restaurants announced that Joe Schafer will be taking the helm at Inman Park’s Parish as Executive Chef. Schafer’s culinary experience spans fifteen years in southeastern restaurants.

Schafer received his culinary education from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2001, but his passion for cooking was cultivated much earlier. He began working in the kitchen at a local mom-and-pop restaurant in his hometown of Senoia, Ga., as a dishwasher. “That’s when I got into the kitchen,” he says, “and I never really left.” After graduating with honors from the Art Institute, Schafer went on to attain sous chef stints at Rainwater and The Globe, where he helped the restaurant win Atlanta Magazine’s “Restaurant of the Year” award in its first year of operation. Schafer joined Concentrics in 2008, working as sous chef at Murphy’s, and subsequently at Midtown’s gastropub, TAP.

Schafer describes his cuisine as “rustic Southern, lightened and refined with European techniques.”  He further explains that he “will be lightening up the menu while staying rustic and approachable.” Schafer’s menu will continue to highlight Southern simplicity, with an emphasis on classic dishes like meat-and-three suppers alongside locally-sourced produce. Schafer’s homemade bacon, which is cured for ten days and known around town as “Joe’s bacon,” will, of course, make an appearance on the menu.  In the Parish Market, Shafer plans to expand upon this philosophy with seasonal fruits and vegetables available for retail among other exciting plans. He is anxious to include an esoteric pickle and condiment bar.

Two of Atlanta’s premier restaurants closed in the past two weeks. Joel Brasserie, one of the few French fine dining establishments in Atlanta and former home to noted chef/owner Joel Antunes, reportedly closed on June 25.  And Repast, owned by the husband-wife chef team Joe Truex and Mihoko Obunai  announced its closing on June 19.

Restaurant Forum magazine’s  published Truex move to Watershed in July August issue. At the time of publication, Repast was to stay in operation under the management and culinary direction of Obunai.

The magazine also featured Joel’s former sommelier, Perrine Prieur, on the cover of the March 2010 issue (to view article online, go to Perrine Prieur). Perieur is opening a wine shop in the White Provision, in Atlanta’s Westside community.

The space formerly occupied by Joel Brasserie will be taken over by the owners of Muss and Turner’s, Ryan Turner and Chef Todd Mussman.  Named Local Three, the new restaurant’s kitchen will be headed up by Chef Chris Hall who was previously the Chef de Cuisine at Canoe restaurant.

Turner is a regular contributing writer to Restaurant Forum and RestaurantINFORMER.com.