JUNE 2012


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION


11 D


‘Customers also have to feel welcome. I cannot tell you how many times people say “You act like you are always so happy to see us!” I am not acting; I am happy to see them.’


The perfect recipe for a successful restaurant: consistently good food and warm atmosphere


T


he chemistry that goes into a successful restaurant is elusive. Typically it is a delicate balance of good food, friendly service,


reasonable price point and convenient location … but not always. In addition, there is a dizzying array


of intangibles that also must combine in pleasing proportions, much like a good recipe. Do all successful restaurants share


one quality that puts them above the rest? Does good food trump all? Is it like the Tolstoy quote when he talks about family? “All happy families resemble one another. Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Do unsuccessful restaurants fail due to an unfortunate combination of factors? Jason and Krissy Fitts of Appalachia


and, now, The Tavern at Wolfscratch Village have their own theories. “A successful restaurant requires consistency. Guests have to know that their favorite item, like the slow-roasted pork at Appalachia, will be the same every time,” they say. “Customers also have to feel welcome.


I cannot tell you how many times people say ‘You act like you are always so happy to see us!’ I am not acting; I am happy to see them,” says Krissy, who handles many of the restaurants’ hosting duties. Recently, the Fitts said they visited an


Atlanta restaurant that puts their theories to the test. The Vortex in Midtown and the Little Five Points area of the city is making a big noise in restaurant circles by pulling in hordes of diners despite


D I N I N G


The Tavern, Big Canoe’s new inside-the-gate eatery, features an upstairs bar with small, high top tables and alfresco dining on the outside patio area. Now open, the restaurant provides a casual sports bar-pub atmosphere with several large screen TVs strategically placed throughout.


a decidedly unfriendly approach to customer service. A notice posted on the Vortex front


door lays out the rules of the house. In no uncertain terms, the management makes clear it will broach no nonsense when it comes to the character and behavior of their customers. Tongue firmly in cheek, the eatery


proclaims itself an “idiot-free zone … where the customer is not always right … especially if we think you’re acting like a great big jerk.” The Fitts said their waiter was surly


and service was slow but they grudgingly admit the food was delicious. And the line, Krissy said, wound around the block. Not that they are going to adopt


anything as extreme as the Vortex, but they do feel there was some value in helping diners understand the upstairs- downstairs layout of The Tavern along with a few basic house rules. To that end, Krissy composed the


following: Tavern Rules 1) We don’t care where you’re from or


Downstairs, in what used to be the country store, outside dining is available along with booths and large tables inside to accommodate family dining. Parking is also available in the lower parking lot.


where you’ve been. If you’ve got money, come on in! 2) Shirts and shoes are required by


local authorities. However, bathing suit cover-ups and flip flops certainly qualify


as “shirts and shoes.” There is no such thing as too casual here! 3) We love children, we have three,


but the upstairs bar here is just that … a bar. Only folks 18 and up are permitted there. Others are welcome downstairs and in our downstairs outdoor dining areas. 4) This is the South. Our tea is


sweet and so are we. You may observe lots of hugging here. Hugs are available upon request … don’t be shy. Warning! Cranky people may be hugged without notice. 5) We have 20 beers on tap. Yup …


20. We encourage you to have one of each, although not all in one day. Please drink responsibly! 6) While we personally do not


smoke, some folks do and smoking is still legal in the United States of America, so …smoking is allowed on the upstairs patio area. 7) Leashed animals are allowed in


both outdoor areas. If you bring a really interesting one, there may be a bonus prize in it for you. 8) We have saved the most important


rule for last. On the big TV downstairs (you’ll know it when you see it), if the Braves are on it … The Braves are on!


During months of construction, the daughters of owners Jason and Krissy Fitts helped their parents get ready for the early May opening. Krissy with daughters Emily, 12, and Addy, 10. Pearl, 3, was napping when photo was taken.


The Tavern


24 Wolfscratch Dr. Wolfscratch Village Big Canoe, GA 30143 (706) 268-1686


Website:


www.thetavernatwolfscratchvillage.com • • •


Hours: 11 am daily - close


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