March 27, 2017

Meet Evan Kauffman of Pub Ten in Peachtree Corners

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Kauffman.

Evan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My husband, Jesse opened a place called Ten Bistro in 2011. We met there a few months after he opened and I was working a corporate sales job. Several years later, before we married, Jesse asked me to work for Bistro and help him out. I took over as pastry chef, book keeping and front end management.

Several years later, we decided it might be time to open a second location. We weren’t sure if it would be another Ten Bistro, or a new concept. As it turned out, a location (a strip center less than a mile down the street) became, and so the new concept had to be developed. We decided the neighborhood we lived and worked in needed a more casual restaurant and a bar that we knew our friends and neighbors would love…Pub Ten, a craft kitchen and bar.

The first day we opened was Super Bowl Sunday 2016. We served 130 people that night with half the space. After 2 months of being open, we expanded our facility. Our friends and neighbors have been supportive and have helped spread the word that we were here. I am always grateful for the support we have received.

We strive to create comfort food with a twist. Many of our dishes are fusion of anything from Korean – Mexican…to French American and many in-between.

Has it been a smooth road?
The road hasn’t always been smooth, but those challenges have brought us to where we are today with a great chef and staff. The first challenge that comes to mind was from the first few weeks. We were some much busier than we expected, we had to close for a lunch or two a week, just to get caught up. Not a terrible problem to have, huh? We had several guests who came in several times a week for the first month.

I think the only other real challenge for me was space. We were on an hour wait to seat people. I had many people tell me they were planning on eating dinner at Pub Ten, “but I saw the line of people and couldn’t wait.” Once we opened that second room, the relief came. Again, not bad problems…

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pub Ten – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Before Bistro was opened, Jesse went to ten neighborhoods around Peachtree Corners and had neighbors submit recipes. He chose ten recipes that were on the menu with the person’s name and neighborhood they lived in. People loved the idea and so we carried that idea into Pub Ten. We mainly had friends and regulars at Bistro make up cocktails. There are a few food items on the Pub menu named after the people who came up with the ideas, as well.

At Pub, we have an open kitchen so the guest can interact with Chef and the kitchen staff, and watch their meals being made. It’s like watching a Food Network show. The décor of Pub is a rustic industrial feel with some cool modern art, mixed with antiques.

Pub Ten specialize in craft food and spirits. We get many of our ingredients from local sources as possible. That includes beer and spirits. Many of our craft beers come from the metro Atlanta area. Even one of our bourbons, Virgil Kaine, comes from a guy who graduated from Norcross High School, and now lives and manufactures his bourbons in Charleston, SC.

I am so proud that we have become known for our food. We have crazy – fun items like, Fried Cauliflower Bites with a blue cheese fondue, Jay’s Mac Tots, which are fried mac n cheese with bacon and is pretzel crusted. We have Korean BBQ Wanton Nachos, our coleslaw is made with dill and our fish tacos come with a pineapple- mango salsa. And our burgers…our burgers are amazing. They are seasoned with our house made ten spice rub. We have a Bahn Mi Lamb burger as well.

I am proud of our entire team that works so hard to make our guest happy and have a great experience. Not only does our food set us apart, but the fact that we feel like “Cheers” here at Pub. I try to greet every guest when I am in the building and not making desserts for both locations.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that Atlanta has become a food-centric city. In other words, people want to eat at local, chef driven restaurants, and not just inside the perimeter anymore. People are willing to try places in the suburbs and realizing it is just as good as in-town restaurants.

It seems that Atlantians are partial to chefs that are from the Atlanta area. I have seen some famous chefs from New York and other major cities, try to start a restaurant in Atlanta, only to fail. I’m not sure why that is, but I also love that you can open a new restaurant here and the people will come for the good food and ambiance.

I grew up in Savannah, so the only thing I wish were different about our city is that we are not on the coast, with beaches. I love the salt air.

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