The restaurant industry is known to celebrate what’s next: the next hot restaurant, the next rising star, the next culinary trend. However, chefs who have built lasting careers have important lessons worth celebrating, and Restaurant Informer set out to discover them by speaking with three of Georgia’s most respected culinary leaders: Chef Kevin Rathbun, Chef Craig Richards and Chef Deborah VanTrece.
Although their hospitality careers followed different paths, there are striking similarities in what they value, what they’ve learned and what they believe the industry must not forget. They share a passion for the craft, a commitment to their teams and an unwavering belief that hospitality is ultimately about people.
Different Paths
Three traits define the careers of each of these three leaders: the willingness to adapt, to embrace opportunity and to begin again.
This year, Kevin Rathbun marks 50 years in the hospitality industry, a career that began at age 14. He spent nearly three decades working for others before opening his first restaurant at age 41. “I thought I was behind the eight ball, but it was the right timing,” he says. Today he owns Kevin Rathbun Steak on the Atlanta Beltline and KR SteakBar in Buckhead.
Before he was a chef, Craig Richards was a graduate student in creative writing, but he now owns two Midtown restaurants, Lyla Lila and Elise at the Woodruff Arts Center. “My training was Italian food and technique. It’s ingredient driven, and that continues in how I train and mentor people,” he says.
Deborah VanTrece’s original goal wasn’t to own a restaurant but to build a catering business. What followed was a career she describes as a series of pivots guided by faith in her abilities and a simple philosophy: “I always say yes and then figure out how I’m going to make it happen.”
The industry encouraged VanTrece to think outside the box. “It’s not just one set direction, there are many paths to get to where you’re trying to go,” she says. That philosophy led to VanTrece Hospitality Group, which includes Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, a MICHELIN Recommended restaurant celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and Oreatha’s at The Point in Atlanta’s historic Cascade Heights.
Experience Shapes Perspective
As their careers progressed, each chef experienced a shift in focus from personal achievement to delivering authentic hospitality. “As you get older, as a chef, more and more you’re cooking less for yourself and more for other people. It’s less about winning awards and more about the food people enjoy,” Richards says.
“The real challenge isn’t always perfecting the new dish. The real challenge is executing the dish that’s been on the menu for years the same way every single night,” he adds.
Rathbun frames the same idea through his “10,000-hour rule.” Anything you do repeatedly will make you better. “I think the younger generation wants to get too far too fast,” he says. “That’s where mentoring comes in.”
VanTrece is concerned the people, restaurants and traditions that built the Atlanta culinary scene are being forgotten. “I think it’s important for us not to lose sight of what was before that got us here,” she says.
Hospitality Is the Product
All three chefs agree: exceptional food is only part of the equation. Hospitality is what guests remember. Rathbun encourages back of house staff to talk to guests and “make friends that build a loyalty, friends for life.”
However, as operations technology becomes more invasive, VanTrece worries that it may be eroding the essence that makes the dining experience memorable. “I miss the intimacy. I do think technology is taking away a lot of the intimacy of dining,” she says. Her commitment remains ensuring guest experience is more than just a transaction.
Richards views hospitality as a personal exchange. “I don’t want either of my restaurants to order from your phone. I want you to have a conversation with the server. It is a people industry,” says Richards.
Investing in People
All three agree—the iron-fist kitchen is gone—and none of them miss it. Today’s restaurant leaders spend as much time developing people as they do creating menus. “Everyone’s committed to the same expectations and standards,” Richards says. “I think that’s when kitchens work the best.”
Rathbun prefers to promote from within and build longevity and loyalty. He manages and coaches with a kind hand. “I step back. I let people do their jobs,” he says. “I’m a 51-49 person: 51% nice and 49% talent. We can teach knowledge, but we can’t always teach the niceties.”
For VanTrece, as an African-American woman, mentoring became both a responsibility and a personal mission—to become the leader she was looking for when she entered the industry. “I was climbing and struggling but it was also important to me to be a mentor to others, that leader that I didn’t find.”
What Endures
For VanTrece, Rathbun, and Richards, legacy isn’t measured by awards, reviews or critical recognition. What endures is more personal. Richards’ legacy lives on through the people who passed through his kitchens and went on to build something of their own. Rathbun’s is reflected in the longevity of those who built careers alongside him and his commitment to giving back, having helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for Project Open Hand. VanTrece’s legacy is reflected in the opportunities now available to others and the growing respect for multi-ethnic cuisines. “I hope that there is a more diverse dining world, a respected dining world, respect given to other cuisines.”
Chefs who have lasted 30, 40 and 50 years didn’t build remarkable careers by chasing trends. They invested in people, embraced change without sacrificing hospitality and came to understand that what truly endures isn’t measured by a signature dish or an award. It’s measured by the careers they helped launch, the relationships they built and the communities they served.
Toby Bloomberg has been called a social media “O.G.” Her adventures in food social media began in 2006, with the launch of the first culinary character blog for Gourmet Station. She has worked with numerous chefs, restaurants and craft “foodpreneurs.” She believes a brand’s most effective way to build and nurture relationships is through strategic, digital storytelling. Bloomberg is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s Atlanta chapter.
