Michel Arnette, owner of Word of Mouth Restaurants.By Haley Harward
In the bubble of Brookhaven, the dining scene bears the indelible mark of Michel Arnette, a seasoned veteran in the restaurant industry and owner of Word of Mouth Restaurants. With a career dating back to the age of 15, when he first donned an apron as a Shoney’s busboy in his hometown of Montgomery, Ala., Arnette’s journey in the restaurant industry is one defined by a passion for restaurants and for people.
Around 1986, Arnette moved to Atlanta and immersed himself in the restaurant world, refining his skills under the guidance of distinguished operators like Steve Nygren and Dick Dailey, the creative minds behind Peasant Restaurants.
Following this influential phase, Arnette joined Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, where he not only cut his teeth but ascended to leadership roles, opening and overseeing restaurants like Pricci, before eventually taking the reins at Buckhead Diner in 1997.
After steering the ship at Buckhead Diner for seven years and feeling the itch for something new, Arnette made the pivotal decision to forge his own path. Thus, HAVEN was born, opening its doors in 2003. This venture quickly became a haven for locals, reflecting Arnette’s commitment to genuine hospitality and love for engaging with people.
Following the success and warm embrace HAVEN saw in the Brookhaven community, Arnette set the stage for the inception of Word of Mouth Restaurants, which encompasses HAVEN and three other concepts, Valencia, Vero and Arnette’s Chop Shop. Each restaurant echoes Arnette’s hospitality philosophy and promise to creating memorable dining experiences.
As HAVEN geared up for its 20th anniversary celebration, Restaurant Informer had the opportunity to speak with Arnette and delve into his culinary journey, the ethos steering Word of Mouth Restaurants and what the future holds for him. Following are edited highlights from our conversation with Michel Arnette.
Restaurant Informer (RI): What are some of the most valuable lessons that you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Michel Arnette (MA): I think what’s really important is you have to listen to people and have a genuine nature of wanting to care. It’s really the one kind of industry where you’re providing a product and an amazing level of customer service, and guests are able to share their immediate feelings and thoughts on what the cuisine and experience are like. So it’s important to listen to their wants and needs and engage in a way that you’re getting as much out of the relationship with them as, hopefully, they are with you.
Arnette gives a heartfelt speech at HAVEN’s 20th anniversary party.RI: Have you faced any significant challenges or setbacks during your career? If so, how did you overcome them?
MA: The most current one was navigating COVID, and that was true for everyone. The challenge there was, how do I perform this level of service and passion and connection when we’re all being asked to distance from each other. One of my favorite things that I did at that time was to be a delivery person. When my guest called and made an order, it was wonderful to get in my car and actually deliver their food to their door.
You learn to kind of pivot. The four [restaurants] that I have now have been successful since their opening, and we’ve been blessed by that, but [during times of struggle] it’s about being diligent and smart about business operations. You have to know what’s happening not only in the economy but specifically in the neighborhood where all the restaurants are located.
RI: How do you maintain strong relationships with your employees?
MA: You can’t teach people to care. You’ve really got to be prudent and take your time on a person that you invite into the family. And, as an owner, it’s my passion to want to take care of each and every one of them both personally and professionally. So creating an environment that reduces stress, shows them grace, humility and respect and then obviously operating a thriving business so they can earn a living. Also, promoting from within. Taking these fantastic servers and bartenders and giving them an opportunity to grow into managers.
RI: What role does community engagement and relationships with local suppliers play in the success of your restaurants?
MA: That’s another piece of showing people respect, grace and humility. If you develop a relationship with your suppliers and your distributors and your farmers, not only are you getting the absolute best product but you’re getting this relationship where they’re proud to be there. We have relationships with the farmers and a relationship with beverage suppliers, and it’s not just transactional. These people come and dine in the restaurant, they’re proud to support us.
RI: How has the industry evolved or changed since you first started your career and since Haven first opened?
MA: I think that, for quite some time, Atlanta has been a food and dining mecca. If there’s one trend that seems to be more prevalent today, it’s that people are choosing neighborhoods they want to live in by what type of dining scene they have. It’s happening in West Midtown. It’s happening in Brookhaven. It’s happening in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.
RI: As you celebrate HAVEN’s 20th anniversary, what are some of the most significant milestones and changes you’ve experienced?
MA: When I opened HAVEN, it was really my wanting to leave this sort of corporate style of restaurant operation. I kind of looked at HAVEN and said, ‘you know what, let’s step back. Let’s open a restaurant in a neighborhood that I live in. Let’s have this wonderful, cozy, safe haven and nourish the community.’ The milestone for me since then was how the neighborhood has supported us. That support has allowed us to add Valenica, to add Vero, to add Arnette’s Chop Shop.
Arnette and his girlfriend celebrate HAVEN’s milestone.RI: What goals or plans do you have in store for Word of Mouth Restaurants moving forward from this 20-year milestone with HAVEN?
MA: We have a new concept, The Associate, hopefully launching sometime early next year. I think it’ll probably be late January, early February. Also, I’ve got an old gas station on Peachtree Road headed toward Chamblee. This will be the first time that I’ll venture outside of Brookhaven, but I’ll add that it’s barely outside Brookhaven. It actually sits about 50 feet across the Brookhaven line into Chamblee. The plan there is to renovate the gas station and open a concept called The Royal, which will be this retro Americana diner concept. Think Frank Lloyd Wright designs a gas station in the ’60s, but the cuisine will be modern diner cuisine.
RI: What advice do you have for aspiring restaurateurs looking to build a brand with the longevity and success that you have seen with Word of Mouth Restaurants?
MA: There are two very important things, almost equally as important. First of all, you have got to absolutely be passionate about the restaurant industry. You have to love every phase and stage of it. The other part is that you have to be educated. It’s good to have been a busboy, a server, a bartender, a manager, a valet, a host. So being able to wear those hats to understand and respect and appreciate that you’re not going to be successful if one of those is not fine-tuned. It’s like a wheel turning. If there’s a missing or broken spoke, the wheel’s going to have some wobble. So every spoke, every little position in the restaurant is important.
