Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsey Clark
Hi Chelsey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My connection to the restaurant industry started with my father who, as a teenager, owned a small fried chicken shop in Brooklyn, NY. After leaving that job to pursue other passions and moving to Georgia to raise our family, he found his way back to restaurants when I was in middle school. In 2013, he opened Suite Food Lounge, which would quickly become an iconic Atlanta spot for food, drinks, and curated experiences.
In 2023, my father tragically passed away. Facing a crossroads, I decided to take a break from my graduate studies at Princeton to move back home and assume responsibility for his businesses. Suddenly, I found myself holding multiple roles—CEO, CFO, CMO, COO, where I was teaching myself business fundamentals while applying them in real-time. On top of it all, I was dealing with the intense grief that came with suddenly losing my dad, who I was incredibly close to.
Today, I am proud to say that the business is doing well, and we’ve even expanded by adding two new brands under the Suite umbrella—The Terrace (an everyday brunch service on our gorgeous sun-kissed patio) and The Terrace Café (a full-service coffee shop)—each named in honor of my dad, Terence. In addition to overseeing all business operations, I am back in school finishing up my Ph.D. in psychology. So, while I didn’t choose this path of entrepreneurship, I am proud of myself for answering the call and genuinely look forward to what opportunities are ahead.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been far from smooth. Beyond the challenges of grieving the sudden loss of my father, I was stepping into an industry with a notoriously low success rate with no prior experience. One of the biggest, ongoing challenges has been establishing a clear and coherent business identity, defining our values, mission, and goals for the future, and communicating that vision to the key players who will make it happen. In the beginning, we all felt so much pressure to solve a bunch of problems quickly that we often acted without properly assessing the situation, the range of potential solutions, and how each solution may or may not service the bigger picture. Some of these choices cost us time, money, and energy that could’ve been preserved had we invested the time upfront to establish our shared vision.
An example of this is when we hired a celebrity chef to serve as our interim Executive Chef. What our kitchen needed was structure, stability, updated policies, and a menu and technique refresh, none of which were strengths or interests of the chef we hired. We made a decision in haste while being a bit blinded by the positive buzz a hire like that could generate for us, and it cost us critical time that we could’ve used to improve the functioning of our kitchen. After parting ways with this chef, we hired a consultant to get our kitchen operations aligned with our expectations and to assist us in finding an Executive Chef who would continue pushing us forward. Now, our kitchen is exactly where we want it to be, and we get to spend our time testing and tasting new additions to the menu!
Equipped with a clear understanding of what I want the business to be, to stand for, and to achieve, I can now make quicker and smarter decisions that align with that vision. And if something starts to fall out of alignment, I can identify the problem quickly and make the necessary changes. As an academic, I spend much of my time writing papers. When beginning a new writing project, I always start with a good, detailed outline, and from there, the paper almost writes itself. I apply this same process to business. So, while dedicating that extra time up front to thinking, questioning, and planning may seem impossible when there’s so much to do, it actually saves us a lot of time in the end.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I think of Suite as an ecosystem with multiple interconnecting brands functioning within. We pride ourselves on being locally owned, Black-owned, and authentically and unapologetically “Atlanta.” At the core of the ecosystem is Suite Food Lounge, a restaurant that ranges from casual to fine dining depending on the day. We are known for serving up delicious takes on classic Southern brunch and dinner food items accompanied by a cocktail, beer, and wine program that’s always evolving.
While the food is amazing, we really set ourselves apart through our weekly curated events happening all around the building. In all our programming, we thoughtfully pair food with music (and ~vibes~) to create a unique experience you can only find with us. For example, our Wednesday “Crab legs and Karaoke” has become a popular mid-week destination for people wanting a great deal on food and a fun atmosphere to unwind in. My favorite thing to see while walking the floor is people belting out song lyrics into their crableg-cracker-turned-microphones. On the other end of the spectrum is our Suite Jazz Series, which attracts jazz lovers from all over to fine dine while enjoying live performances from top international jazz artists. There’s truly no other place that offers as diverse a range of programming, and we’re proud to bring these experiences and more to downtown Atlanta!
Another critical part of our Suite ecosystem is our new everyday brunch on The Terrace. We transformed our front patio into an ethereal sunroom so our customers can experience our new brunch menu while receiving the highest quality customer service. Because of our prime location directly across from the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Statefarm Arena, and other popular Atlanta attractions, there are always tons of people in the immediate area. We’re thrilled to be able to accommodate them all for brunch as one of the many fun things to do in Atlanta.
Our latest addition is my passion project, The Terrace Café, which just opened in August of this year. I spent months building the concept, designing the menu, sourcing the materials and equipment, and putting myself through barista training with the goal of bringing high quality coffee to the downtown area at a reasonable price. For both our café and brunch customers, we offer a variety of coffee, tea, and chocolate beverages, including my personal favorite the Lavender White Mocha Latte, as well as some boozy coffees. The café is definitely the brand I am most proud of, and I can’t wait for more people to find out about us!
How do you think about luck?
I’ve been double lucky in life: lucky to be born into a loving and supportive family, and lucky to be born a naturally hard worker who takes every “no” as a challenge. While I had the horrible luck of losing my father, I also have the great fortune of possessing so many of the qualities that made him a good businessman and a good man. As I continue this path of entrepreneurship, I welcome every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow and continue to push the limits of what I can accomplish. So, despite the hardship I’ve faced, I still consider myself incredibly lucky to have the support from my loved ones and the determination to continue onward.
Pricing:
- $10 crab buckets on Wednesdays
- $5 classic cocktails on Fridays 5-8 for social hour
- Cafe beverages start at $4
- Food and drink specials every night of the week!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://suiteatl.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suiteloungeatl/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/theterraceatsuite/
