Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Efuetlateh, PhD.
Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have a business background. I hold a PhD in Business Administration. I’ve worked in corporate America for some of the large fortune 500 companies for several years either as a consultant or FTE. Like with any job there are days that are stressful, and one needs something to get out and do to get their mind off work and recharge. Finding places that could provide such a service has always been a challenge or had limited availability. So, my idea of PreView Restaurant was to provide such a service to people that felt the same way as I did. I wanted it to be good enough for customers seeking a safe, upscale, grown, sexy, chill and relaxed environment.
I’ve been looking for the right location for quite some time before the opportunity came for the current Buckhead location in late 2021. PreView Restaurant had been a work-in-progress since late last year. We were doing work behind the scenes to get the location ready for an upscale dining experience, as well as getting the required operational permits and licenses. We wanted to offer people that go out to celebrate for various reasons a more laid-back and chill ambiance different from what they experience at clubs.
I had a few business ideas in the past that did not come to light because I wanted things to be so perfect and for the timing to be right. I had to realize the hard way that perfection really kills innovation and that time might not always be right when you want it to, but you have to be ready for that moment. I intentionally made the decision to open our doors, get feedback from customers and make quick adjustments as needed. These past two months of “Stress Testing” the business has shown us what is working well and what we needed to improve on. We can only get better going forward and our vision to be one of the top urban dining destinations in Atlanta is very clear.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being the CEO for a small business is always challenging because you have to be ready to wear a few hats when needed to make sure the business stays afloat and that customers are getting the best service possible.
The restaurant business is a “Service” business, trying to cater to the needs of every customer is always a big challenge. We want to maintain a good balance where majority or all of our customers can go home happy with the service that was provided.
Also, people are spending less with the current economic environment. It is a slow process for us to build a loyal customer base. With us being very new, we have to do a lot of marketing so people know we are open for business. This could be much easier if people had more disposable income to spend on dining and entertainment.
We also have to deal with the chicken and egg situation where we have to keep a balance between new hires and customer demand. Customer demand helps us control how many staff we can have working at the same time but with us just starting out we need to manage this aspect to make sure customers are getting the best service possible and that there is enough work for our staff to do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m the founder and CEO of PreView Restaurant. The Restaurant had been a work-in-progress since late last year. We were doing work behind the scenes to get the Buckhead location ready for an upscale dining experience, as well as getting the required operational permits and licenses. We offer an upscale, laid-back, grown, sexy and chill ambiance different from what customers experience at clubs. We just recently opened our doors to the public.
Our food menu is simple but diverse. We have something for everyone from steaks, seafood and vegetables with a twist of flavors from various cuisines including American, African, Mediterranean and Caribbean. We also have TVs to show live sports events and offer FREE WiFi to our customers.
We are currently open to the public 5 days a week from Wednesdays through Sundays. We have Happy Hours Wednesdays to Fridays from 5PM and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Mondays and Tuesdays are for private events only. Customers can request information about private events by calling the restaurant or email. We have a lot of people that host their birthday dinners and other special occasions at the restaurant.
We are known for being the Pre-Game spot for young professionals. PreView is the place where the fun starts.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Atlanta provides a conducive business environment for young black entrepreneurs like me. I think this is a good thing which ensures the services provided by these businesses are meeting the demands of the people in the metro Atlanta area. When people have more fun things to do I think their overall quality of life feels better.
As far as my dislikes about the city, I believe no city or person is perfect. We can sure identify areas to improve on. I think we were lacking in the area of restaurants with a chill and laid-back ambiance for people who do not necessarily want to be in the club environment. Hopefully, PreView Restaurant helps to cater to some of this need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.previewatl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/previewatl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PreViewATL/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/previewatl
- Other: https://www.previewatl.com/reservations
