Exploring Life & Business with Gilbert Yeremian of Casa Almenara

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gilbert Yeremian.

Hi Gilbert, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My History/BIO:

Veteran restaurateur Gilbert Yeremian continues to shape Atlanta’s culinary and
entertainment landscape with Midtown favorites Gilbert’s, 10th & Piedmont and Casa Almenara. Gilbert
integrated his international experiences, influences and knowledge into the Atlanta restaurant
scene in May 2000 with Gilbert’s, which he opened as an international gourmet market featuring
take-out food service and later turned into a restaurant, now referred to as Gilbert’s or G’s. In
January 2003, he opened Balance, a Modern restaurant with a menu focusing on nutritionally
balanced, eclectic cuisine. In February 2010, he opened HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern, which
fast became an Atlanta mainstay. Gilbert expanded with a new concept at 10th & Piedmont in
December of 2012.
Much of Gilbert’s inspiration stems from his international upbringing. Born in Turkey, his
Mediterranean background shaped his culinary viewpoint. A Greek mother and an Armenian
father instilled his global flair — he learned to speak several languages, including Greek, Armenian,
French, Turkish and English. Gilbert developed a love for the culinary arts at an early age,
cooking as the sous-chef for his mother and eventually receiving a degree in hotel management and
hospitality from the prestigious Bilkent University in Turkey, then studying in Brussels, and
eventually receiving a degree in Business and Finance from Mercer University in 1999.
After graduation, Gilbert became a manager at Atlanta’s acclaimed Brookwood Grill
Restaurant. Within a year, he and his brother, Sean, joined forces to bring a taste of their heritage
to Atlanta with the opening of Gilbert’s Mediterranean. Gilbert is actively involved in the
community and dedicated to seeing the community grow. He currently serves on the board of
Emory Saint Joseph Hospital Auxiliary as Treasurer and is also a member of Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Committee. He also volunteers weekly at the Emory Saint Joseph Hospital as a Family
Representative during surgeries.
Gilbert is married and has two kids aged nine and ten. Gilbert enjoys travelling,
cooking, mushroom foraging, and snowboarding in his spare time along with spending a lot of quality time with his
family.

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 restaurant business has always been a bumpy adventure — a beautiful mix of passion and pressure. Beyond the standard challenges that every restaurateur faces — like the near impossibility of turning a profit, ever-rising labor costs, and the daily balancing act of offering livable wages while keeping guests happy — my journey has included some unique layers.

Since opening my first restaurant in 2000, I have proudly served Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. That has been both a privilege and an education. This community has given me unwavering support, love, and energy — and it has also brought its own set of challenges that come with serving a space as diverse and dynamic as ours. Recruiting talent can be more complex, navigating different subcultures and racial dynamics within the community takes real care, and sometimes the broader mainstream world has not fully embraced us simply because of the values we stand for.

Yet through all of that, I remain deeply grateful. The LGBTQ community shaped not only my businesses but also who I am as a person and entrepreneur. Casa Almenara — like the restaurants before it — stands as one of Midtown’s longest-running independent establishments, still family-owned, still community-driven, and still built on love, inclusion, and good food shared around the fire.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Casa Almenara is where the vibrant flavors of Mexico and the Mediterranean come together under one roof — many of our dishes are cooked over real wood fire and served in a lively atmosphere we call FUN DINING. We’re known for our authentic street-food dishes, handcrafted cocktails, and our genuine sense of community that turns guests into family.

For over 25 years, we’ve proudly served Midtown Atlanta, celebrating diversity, inclusion and equality long before it became a trend. What sets us apart isn’t just our food — it’s our heart. Casa Almenara has always been more than a restaurant; it’s a gathering place where everyone is welcome, where good vibes meet great food, and where every meal feels like a celebration.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud that we’ve stayed true to our core values — embracing real ingredients, real fire, and real people. We’re not chasing monetary success; we see commercial success as a by-product when conditions allow. Our true north star has always been to serve our core community with equality, diversity, and genuine hospitality.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk is the main ingredient that separates an entrepreneur’s journey from everyone else’s. Risk changes everything — how you think, how deeply you feel about your work, how personally you take every victory and setback. I often wish all my associates could truly experience what that feels like; it would open an entirely new level of understanding and perspective.

Let’s talk about risk.
Had I known the full extent of the risk I was taking, would I have opened my first restaurant? Would any restaurant owner? Probably not. No sane person would look at the odds and say, “Yes, that’s a sound investment.” I went to great colleges and studied hospitality, marketing, and finance — yet the decision to open a restaurant was financially unreasonable. It wasn’t logic; it was passion for hospitality and a bit of ignorance about the risk.

The restaurant business is like the artist’s world — only a small percentage ever make real money. The rest admire from afar, trying to reach that stage. It’s only the “Beyoncés” of our field who achieve meaningful compensation. The rest of us — many of us immigrants, like me — do it out of love for the craft, for a reasonable living, and for the freedom (and fatigue) that come with it.

I consider myself lucky to have experienced a touch of that “Beyoncé-ness.” Even then, luck plays a huge part — because no matter how talented or prepared you are, this industry requires a certain kamikaze spirit to even enter. No bank will give a new restaurateur a loan — that alone tells you how the world sees our odds. Most of us rely on friends and family, which means if you fail, you go back to a day job and pay those loans for years.

That’s the risk. And strangely, that’s also the beauty.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.casa-almenara.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casaalmenaraatl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasaAlmenaraMidtown/#