Kevin Rathbun has been a fixture in the Atlanta restaurant scene since he came to Atlanta and worked as the chef for Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s pioneering Southwestern restaurant Nava. He went on to open his own concept, Rathbun’s, in Inman Park, becoming a culinary pioneer in the area in 2004, the year Restaurant Informer debuted with Rathbun on the cover. The restaurant was named to Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America list and as the year’s Best New American Restaurant by Travel + Leisure.
Soon after, he opened Krog Bar then Kevin Rathbun Steak in 2007 – back when the hugely popular BeltLine that runs by its doors was just an old unused railroad track. In 2013, he opened KR SteakBar in Buckhead’s Peactree Hills neighborhood.
He’s appeared on dozens of TV programs since he was featured on our cover, including The Today Show and Good Morning America. He also competed against – and beat – Bobby Flay in Iron Chef America and won on Chopped, Food Network’s popular competition show, in 2013.
What are your major takeaways in the hospitality business?
Be loyal to your guests, your vendors, and, most of all, your restaurant family. Never take anything for granted, stay humble and grounded. Continue to educate – learning every day is crucial. Parking, parking, parking! And give back to your community when and if you can, always.
How do you feel the hospitality industry has changed since 2004?
Major cities have embraced the small pockets of the community for restaurants and entertainment. Local farmers and resources have been much more bountiful and sought after. Customers have gotten more price savvy and recognize food quality and service standards. The employee pool is more fluid, more opportunities, making it more difficult for the hospitality industry, and the scale of opening today vs. then is substantial.
Catch up with restaurateurs featured on Restaurant Informer‘s cover in years past.
(click the image below)
