Southern Proper Hospitality Rings in the New Year with New Corporate Chefs and Executive Chef at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman

For more information:

Morgan Lanier or Olivia Mayes

Melissa Libby & Associates

404-816-3068

Morgan@melissalibbypr.com

Olivia@melissalibbypr.com

SOUTHERN PROPER HOSPITALITY RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW CORPORATE CHEFS AND EXECUTIVE CHEF PROMOTIONS AT GYPSY KITCHEN AND THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

Atlanta Restaurant Group Appoints Benjamin Meyer and Cesar Velazquez to Oversee Corporate Culinary Operations; Promotes Gary Finzer and Q. Matisse' Myers to Executive Chef Positions

ATLANTA (Jan. 24, 2018) – Today, Southern Proper Hospitality SPH) CEO Tory Bartlett announces four new chef appointments to the Atlanta restaurant group’s culinary team. New corporate chef hire Benjamin Meyer and Beni’s Cubano executive chef Cesar Velazquez are now overseeing culinary operations for the company while Gary Finzer and Q. Matisse' Myers have been promoted to executive chefs at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman respectively. SPH is an organization that values innovation and creativity, and each of these gifted chefs is providing distinct dining experiences that appeal to their guests’ sense of adventure. 

“Benjamin, Cesar, Gary and Q. are priceless assets to the Southern Proper team, and we’re thrilled to be beginning 2018 on such a high note with these talented chefs,” says Bartlett. “I know our guests will be just as pleased as we are with their creativity in the kitchen."

Benjamin Meyer, Southern Proper Hospitality

Benjamin Meyer serves as the overall corporate chef for Southern Proper Hospitality. Meyer comes to SPH from Barcelona Wine Bar, having worked as the restaurant’s executive chef at large in Boston and Washington, D.C., before opening Atlanta’s West Midtown location. Prior to his time with Barcelona, Meyer ran Iridescence Restaurant atop the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit and served as corporate chef at Michigan-based The Dali Group. He has also worked at such high-volume facilities as Michael Mina’s restaurants at MGM Grand Detroit and Paragon at Foxwood Resorts Casino in Connecticut.

Fluent in a variety of different cuisines, Meyer has a knack for educating others and nurturing talent, making him an invaluable leader. As a former columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Meyer taught readers intermediate techniques with food and plating and encouraged home cooks to put their own spin on his recipes.          

Cesar Velazquez, Southern Proper Hospitality

As a corporate chef for SPH, Cesar Velazquez oversees Tin Lizzy’s Cantina and Beni’s Cubano as well as the forthcoming Street Taco scheduled to open at the Marietta Square Market this summer. Prior to this role, Velazquez paired robust, home-style Cuban cuisine with fast and friendly service as executive chef at Beni’s Cubano. He also previously managed culinary research and development for all of SPH’s restaurant concepts, developing recipes for both new and existing brands, working with vendors to procure products, overseeing new menu item rollouts and developing training programs.

Velazquez earned his degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Atlanta in addition to a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Worcester State University in Massachusetts. Prior to joining the team at SPH, he was chef-partner at Chiringo Restaurant in Grayton Beach, Florida. He previously served as the executive chef at Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta for nearly 11 years. His culinary career began as a chef-partner at Quattro Pizza Bar, also in Atlanta. 

Gary Finzer, Gypsy Kitchen

At Gypsy Kitchen, Gary Finzer is enticing patrons to become guests for life by creating just the right balance of European ambiance, uncommon spices and delicious, innovative dishes. Before joining the SPH team in 2014, Finzer worked at Bacchanalia and Star Provisions, eventually overseeing ordering for all five of James Beard Award-winning chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison’s restaurants. 

A graduate of New York’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, the Michigan native began honing his skills in New York working under such respected chefs as Guastavino’s Daniel Orr, Craft’s Tom Colicchio and Marco Canora, and Picholine’s Terrance Brennan and Craig Hopson. “Each helped me understand the importance of using fresh ingredients and preparing them properly,” says Finzer.

Q. Matisse' Myers, The Southern Gentleman

Bringing Southern charm by way of Brooklyn, Q. Matisse' Myers joined SPH in 2014. His rise through the company’s ranks has been well-regarded: in 2015, Zagat Atlanta selected him as one of eight secret weapons behind Atlanta’s top restaurants. Myers inspires his staff with a passion for fresh ingredients and a genuine appreciation of food. His ingenuity in the kitchen stems from a belief that food can be a journey that evokes emotion and deep human connection.

Prior to joining the SPH team, Myers served as sous chef for True Food Kitchen in Atlanta and has also gained fine cuisine and kosher cooking experience in in multiple high-end hotels in New York City. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, he is focused on both the success of The Southern Gentleman and the individual successes of his team members by educating managers and staff, developing innovative dishes and training up-and-coming chefs.

About Southern Proper Hospitality

Southern Proper Hospitality owns and operates The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly BBQ, The Blind Pig Parlour Bar, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Beni’s Cubano, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. Chosen by Restaurant Hospitality as one of the “25 Coolest Multi-Concept Companies in America” and named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies for 2017, Southern Proper Hospitality offers  genuinely hospitable service and exceptional, high-quality food. For more information, visit sphospitality.com.

###