Mayree Solis, Assistant General Manager at5Church Buckhead, 5Church Midtown. Photo courtesy of Sarah Iqbal Photography.
Sometimes life changes direction with one small leap of faith. For Mayree Solis, assistant general manager at 5Church’s Buckhead and Midtown locations, it was a chance part-time job. She accepted a hostess position in her hometown of Charlotte, N.C., at 5Church Charlotte, and that set the wheels in motion.
Two years later, she was asked to help open 5Church Midtown in 2016. Mayree realized she had fallen in love with hospitality, the restaurant industry and Atlanta.
“I took a big bite without knowing how much I needed to chew,” she says. She never dreamed her career path would eventually lead to directing operations and staff at the restaurant as an assistant general manager at age 28.
With the management team’s support, including Principal Ayman Kamel, Mayree was encouraged to go beyond what she thought was possible and motivated to take on new challenges.
“You think you’re at your limit,” Mayree says, “but people who believe in you say you can do more.”
Mayree finds inspiration in the book The Art of War that is literally written on the 5Church Midtown ceiling. She often reminds her staff of the quote near the front door, “When words lose their meanings, people lose their minds.” As Mayree puts it, “If you don’t have something significant to say, don’t say it.”
Her achievements as a leader are a combination of skills, beginning with maintaining a positive attitude in stressful situations. She has the rare ability to multitask and problem solve in the midst of chaos while still creating a nurturing team environment where her staff can grow. “I just take leaps. I jump and hopefully land on my feet,” Mayree says. “If I land on my butt. it’s okay. We’ll get up.”
Mayree is committed to ensuring each customer has an optimal experience, whether it’s a new job celebration, an intimate dinner for two, or friends meeting for drinks at the bar. “If you remember to take care of your guests, you’ve achieved what you’ve clocked in for,” she says.
With a soon-to-launch new project in Midtown, Mayree’s responsibilities will significantly increase. But she embraces the exciting opportunities that will come her way.
“I never saw a career path going from hostess to assistant general manager,” Mayree says. “Never expected to be working in the restaurant business this long. Never thought I’d be talking to guests or dealing with a million things you have to coordinate. I will tell you it’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am so grateful.”
Read About the Other 2022 Rising Stars
Special thanks to our 2022 Rising Stars presenting sponsor, Performance Foodservice
and our table sponsors Savannah Distributing and Society Insurance
