Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anthony Vipond. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anthony, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Absolutely! At Artichoke Dinner Club, we wanted to be completely different than other prepared meal businesses. Most of the industry focuses on diets and individuals, which we completely understand and respect. But, for our family, heating multiple individual servings detracted from the family dining experience and did not feel like the right option. Although I believe in a healthy and balanced diet, I love pasta and rice far too much for diet-focused options. As a result, we did not have a lot of choices when it came to prepared meals; the best option was to start from scratch and create something different. We focused on serving dishes family-style so they can be shared and by creating a menu with a variety of healthy, wholesome, and delicious made from scratch dishes that were not restricted by needing to be keto or paleo. And now we have a loyal customer base that appreciates us going against the norm. Many of them had never considered prepared meals an option before trying Artichoke Dinner Club.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I am originally from Vancouver, Canada. My high school years were packed with skiing and working. I got my first restaurant job at 15 as a dishwasher in a small neighborhood spot and from there I was hooked. I remember working in the evenings after school and then walking home from work at night soaking wet and loving every minute of it. This is what sparked my interest in restaurants and led me to pursue a career in Hospitality Management at Cornell University. After school, I spent the next 10 years working at some of the best restaurant groups in the country, including Hillstone Restaurant Group and Chop’t Salad Company. I was working towards my dream of becoming a restauranteur.

This became a reality in 2017 when I opened Whiskey Bird in Atlanta with my long-time college friend Chad Crete. We wanted Whiskey Bird to be a neighborhood restaurant that focused on delivering fun and creative dishes alongside thoughtful, attentive, and friendly service. After 5 years and endless pivots during the pandemic, we have continued to grow, be a part of our community, and build meaningful relationships with our team and guests.

In 2021 I decided to open a new concept and create locally made prepared meals for busy families and individuals. I had become so busy between work, never-ending to-do lists, and raising our daughter, that cooking dinner had changed from being something I loved to something I dreaded. So I thought I would try and find a solution and alternative to meal prep and frozen dinners. What we wanted were prepared meals that were made locally and felt “homemade.” Nothing too fancy and something we felt good about eating ourselves and feeding to our daughter. Which led to Artichoke Dinner Club, which does just that. We are so passionate about our business and continue to put metaphorical blood, sweat, and tears into it because this product was life-changing for us. Not in that all-out way (like having a baby or finding your dream job is), but in a way that feels impactful and meaningful to our lives during every workweek. And that sentiment is echoed by our wonderful, loyal customers.

Although it often feels like I am always working I always make sure I am able to have breakfast with my daughters, take them to daycare, be home for dinner (typically from Artichoke Dinner Club), and help put them to bed.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

That is a great question. There were three things I have always tried to do with both Whiskey Bird and Artichoke Dinner Club 1) deliver the highest quality products we can; 2) provide the best customer service we can; 3) listen to our customers and team as much as we can, even if we do not like what they have to say. These three things have been critical in our success, but the biggest thing is taking point number 3 and then pivoting and making changes to deliver on points 1 and 2. It is this constant pivoting and tweaking that has enabled us to build trust with both our team and our customers and have the strong reputation we have today.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I would love to share some of my insights. For Artichoke Dinner Club customer referrals and local partnerships have been critical in growing our business. We start by focusing on our customers and delivering a great experience to them. We then look to partner with small businesses and public schools in their neighborhoods to help support their community and increase our awareness. It is a strategy that takes more time but I think it creates a loyal clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artichokedinnerclub.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artichokedinnerclub/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artichokedinnerclub/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-vipond-4a997b29

Image Credits
Erik Meadows