The 5th annual awards recognize 7 as ones to watch
By Haley Harward and Nancy Wood
It’s been yet another trying year, but that hasn’t stopped the 2021 Rising Stars from innovating and finding a way forward. For the fifth year, Restaurant Informer, in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association, has selected seven people who have viewed this year as an opportunity to grow in their roles as leaders and change the way things are done for the better.
Every year, it gets harder and harder to select these final Rising Stars. There are just so many qualified candidates from all parts of the industry. This year’s group includes two executive chefs, a chief operating officer, two general managers, a bar director, a restaurant co-owner, a beverage director and a restaurant owner and operator. And yes, that’s more than one job title for several of our winners, a reflection of the times as we all try to do more with less. That alone makes these seven people even more deserving of the title Rising Star.
The Rising Stars program recognizes those in the industry who are going above and beyond expectations in their jobs and finding new ways to lead the industry forward. Each year, the hospitality industry is invited to submit nominations for who they think should be a Rising Star. The final selections were determined by Restaurant Informer editorial staff in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association.
Congratulations to this year’s Rising Stars!
The 2021 Rising Stars are:
Robert Butts, Executive Chef at Twisted Soul in Atlanta
Aaron Mattison, Owner/Operator of Bar Vegan in Atlanta
Kenny Nguyen, Executive Chef at The Expat in Athens
Sowmya Burugu, Bar Director for Café Lily in Decatur
Christian Bowdoin, General Manager of MTH Pizza in Smyrna
Matthew Gibbons, General Manager and Beverage Director at Nick’s Westside in Atlanta
Johnny Farrow, Chief Operations Officer for Grindhouse Killer Burgers in Atlanta
Learn about what it takes to be a Rising Star and view past winners here.
Thank you to our Rising Stars 2021 Sponsors
