This July, What Now Media Group gathered an impressive group of Atlanta-based restaurateurs, along with industry-leading restaurant service providers, for its quarterly Accelerate event at Flight Club Atlanta.
What made this Accelerate event even more special was that What Now Media Group had just launched its must-read news site in its 30th market: What Now New Orleans. Hitting this huge milestone called for a celebration to bring together the Atlanta restaurant community that has supported our news organization since the launch of What Now Atlanta in 2010.
To kick things off, What Now Media Group Founder and CEO Caleb J. Spivak led an interactive discussion with local restaurant owners on how to scale their businesses and continue to grow their restaurant concepts in a thriving market like Atlanta.
Restaurateurs like Charles Wang shared his wisdom with first-time operators in attendance. Wang owns various locations of Earl of Sandwich and is now growing a new concept called Chef Wang’s across Atlanta.
Co-owner of Dolo’s Pizza, Alyson Williams, is staying busy with her growing business that features chef-driven pizza options feeding the masses at State Farm Arena.
LaSpangela (Dee) Smith-Titley is making progress on her first location of The Peach Cobbler Factory in Marietta.
“The Accelerate Event was very informative. As a first-time franchisee, the presentation helped give me a better understanding of where I’m at in this process and where I’m going. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to connect, share, and gather information from other restaurant owners and suppliers. Everyone was full of knowledge, I developed new ideas, and created relationships that will be beneficial in the future,” shares Smith-Titley.
What Now Media Group prides itself on knowing the best in the industry when it comes to service providers who can help restaurants open and grow to the next level. Representatives from TriMark, ECOLAB, Sysco, Encompass Interactive, and DoorDash were in attendance to offer their expert advice and assistance to these busy owners.
“It’s good seeing the current clients that we work with and great to meet new and potential restaurant owners that we could help out in the future,” shares Artem Kamalov of Liquid Recovery Solutions. “The event includes a mix of people in the starting stages or sometimes on their second location. Liquid Recovery provides one of those services that owners don’t think about until they need us.” This is exactly why we like to make the introductions early so restaurant owners don’t find themselves in a pickle once they’re up and running!
Joshua Ajayi, Head of Local Partnerships for DoorDash in the Southeast, shares his thoughts on Accelerate, “This being my 3rd event with What Now Atlanta, I have learned a lot and seen the advantages of restaurant owners attending. When starting a small business, there are often similar challenges owners face, and having access to a group of like-minded people can be advantageous. The restaurant community is tight-knit, and you never know who can possibly help you. If you have not attended, please do!”
Other Preferred Partners in attendance included Kitsy Rose PR, Prudential Overall Supply, United Gaming, TFH Legal, and Taste of Atlanta.
After a thoughtful discussion on what’s to come for the Atlanta restaurant scene in the near future, What Now Media Group Inc. invited their diverse network for the Milestone Party, including key members of the press, foodie content creators and local entrepreneurs, to revel in Flight Club Atlanta’s many on-site offerings.
From gourmet bites, bubbly, craft beer, and cocktails, to their signature Social Darts games, attendees got a taste of all Flight Club Atlanta has to offer at their interactive venue at the Star Metals complex in West Midtown.
The remarkable team of innovators that work behind-the-scenes operating What Now Media Group converged in Atlanta from all across the country: Tampa, New York City, Nashville, San Diego, Portland, and Los Angeles.
Alongside Atlanta’s restaurant industry, local influencers rubbed elbows with the entrepreneurs whose businesses are captured in their creative posts, reels, and videos to be shared with their thousands of followers.
To finish out the evening, guests took home an indulgent white chocolate cupcake from Piece of Cake Bakery.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant news in 30 U.S. cities daily, but we’re also dedicated to the continued support of brands as they grow in their respective markets. That’s why we hold networking events like Accelerate for restaurant owners to connect and discuss their projects. Next, we’re expanding coverage to include the latest retail and real estate news in Atlanta and beyond!
Keep an eye out for more events by What Now Media Group by visiting the Accelerate page for details.
Photos by Megan Varner
