We were lucky to catch up with Rochelle Daniel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rochelle, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

We pride ourselves in a culture that emphasizes family and connection both within our internal team as well as in how we make our guests feel. Inclusivity and providing a welcoming open space for people to share is important to us at Atria. This is an internal value that, although we are seeing shifts in that direction in the restaurant industry, can at times be slowly embraced and we work to embody that value daily. It is important to us that this is felt by our staff and guests alike.

We value the ethos that every person should have the ability to provide valued input in methods and creativity, both in the kitchen and in service staff. Every individual is creative, and progress is imperative, I like to create a space where not only I can push my own boundaries of food expression, but also support and urge those around me to do the same.

It is not an untold story in the restaurant industry to push and find the beauty in the pressure that is inherent here, but what I pride myself in is creating a supportive and nurturing space for that creativity and viewing food as the language to articulate what we are doing here, beyond just what we put on the plate. What we make and how we operate is a statement of the changes we want to see in the industry that we love and the result of that is what we get to share with our guests.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started cooking at a very young age, even before I made it my profession, and have been drawn to the fact that food has always been and will always be something to bring people together.

The joy that comes from gathering around a good meal and the connections that can be built or foster around that table is at the core of why I wanted to create spaces for people to do that.

The restaurants that I create are a tribute to that togetherness and honoring what those experiences mean to people. The effort and love we put into the food and service we present to our guests is a direct reflection of the care we want everyone feel and to have the ability to not only enjoy and be impressed by what is front of them, but by who is sitting around with them sharing in those experiences.

I am most proud of the impact I have made at the restaurants and the teams that I have been a part of, most notably Atria and the upcoming sister restaurants that I get to build in my community. These spaces are truly a labor or love from myself and my staff, where we offer the spaces and meals for people to gather around and share the love of the food and the company.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Much like so many people, the Covid pandemic created very real opportunities for my resilience to show itself.

I took over the spaces that hold my current restaurant, Atria, as well as my future concepts, right before Covid. The entire game plan of the structure and timeline of opening each concept, had to pivot greatly. I ended up having to open the smallest, arguably most risky venture first based on logistics and really had to stretch myself and the team to truly make it work through those times. We had to navigate opening a new restaurant, while building out future concepts and learning what profitability and success would be in our new and shifting reality.

Making changes and adapting to staffing a team during such a volatile time period, especially in this industry, was a trying obstacle to move through. I also found myself doubling down and running one kitchen in a completely different part of the state, while building Atria.

All the obstacles that arose during this time, pushed me even more than is anticipated with opening a restaurant in the most accommodating of times. The fact that Atria is here and thriving and the sister concepts are opening soon is proof of my and my team’s resilience.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my business partners via air bnb and a turn of what some might see as fate or serendipity!

I was in Flagstaff with my team (from Phoenix) to go foraging and the original location I had for us to stay was double booked. So in finding an alternative I offered the hosts of the new location a trade in order to stay there, the accommodations for our stay for a meal at the restaurant I was the Chef of at the time.

The hosts of the home agreed and some time after our stay they came to the restaurant to eat make good on our barter! They loved the food and experience so much that they continued to come in for 2 years following that first meal and shortly after presented me with the opportunity to partner with them.

I guess sometimes when you are looking for a good deal… you get a restaurant!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.atriarestaurant.com
• Instagram: @rochelled8
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Rochelle-Daniel-100068344690371/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/atria-no-title

Image Credits

Debby Wolvos