We were lucky to catch up with Joey Ward recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joey , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Since opening we have remained dedicated to providing a sustainable work life for our employees. The measures that we have taken are groundbreaking for the Atlanta market and we believe mark a new direction in the world of hospitality. We have a service inclusive model of compensation (no tipping) which allows us to pay a livable wage to all employees; This includes paying all staff $10/hour base hourly wages plus a share of the service charge.
We limit the work week to three days of active operations (Thursday-Saturday) to provide a healthy work/life balance. We offer 2 weeks paid vacation for ALL employees. Our management team leads by positive motivation rather than fear or negativity. We believe that these measures combine to provide a great place for our staff to thrive.

Joey , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the Chef/Owner of Southern Belle + Georgia Boy in Atlanta, GA. I have been working in foodservice since the age of 15. I have worked in several outlets of the hospitality industry throughout me career including catering, private country clubs, luxury hotels, and independently owned fine dining restaurants.

My wife Emily and I opened Southern Belle + Georgia Boy at the end of 2019 (just before the major impact of the pandemic hit). In Southern Belle we offer a 4 course chef’s tasting menu featuring local seasonal products that celebrate the multicultural influences throughout the city of Atlanta. Georgia Boy is a “speakeasy”n located within Southern Belle and is a 16 course chef’s table experience that takes diners on a multi-sensory culinary journey celebrating creativity, the avant garde, childhood nostalgia, and great southern ingredients.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Opening a restaurant (or two) just before the pandemic of 2020 was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. The small team had to be able and wiling to pivot on a dime in order to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the hospitality world throughout the tightest grip of COVID. Pivots included completely changing our concept multiple times. Throughout our various attempts to stay afloat we initially became a take-out only restaurant. We later offered a hybrid of take-out and patio seating with a casual menu (burgers, wings, etc). We evolved from there to include a more high-end patio a’la carte menu (pate, beef tartare, etc..). As the year (and vaccines) progressed, we offered a chef’s tasting menu as well as our a’ la carte selection. We then limited the offering to a chef’s tasting menu in Southern Belle. It wasn’t until December of 2021 that we reopened the communally sat Georgia Boy space offering the 16 course experience and finally getting back to our original and full potential.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Over several years of building a reputation in the Atlanta fine dining world and making several longtime supporters of my work, I set my sights on fundraising for my first solo endeavor. I landed our initial investor with a long breakfast meeting and pitching of my passion, goals, and ideas for the business. I was able to gain an investment of $125k from this person, getting the financial ball rolling, but perhaps more importantly giving clout to the project (and myself) overall. This initial investor was a big name in the hospitality industry and had made millions investing in and growing brands as a board member of one of the city’s biggest capital investment firms.

From there, my team and I built a private website offering visuals, My BIO and industry accolades, financial projections, mood boards, projected costs, location demographics, and investment opportunities. This website was VITAL in accomplishing our capital goals. It allowed a potential investor to discover the information on their own terms. They could get a real feel for the vibe of the restaurant through the visuals provided, or dive deep into the financials in order to crunch the numbers. That initial “Big fish” investor told us that this was the most unique and best put together investment package that he had seen.

Contact Info:

• Website: southernbelleatl.com
• Instagram: chefjoeyward southernbelleatlanta georgiaboyatlanta
• Facebook: southern belle georgia boy

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