Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Meloy.
Zachary, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My wife, Cristina and I started an underground supper club called PushStart Kitchen to try and break into the Atlanta dining scene. After two years, and more than a little hard work, we were able to crowd source the funds to open our little restaurant, Better Half
Has it been a smooth road?
If anyone were to tell you that owning and operating a small family run business is a smooth road, they’re not telling the truth. We’ve dealt with everything from staffing issues, mechanical/equipment emergencies, leaks, busted pipes, ingredient shortages, challenging locations, petty crime and a saturated restaurant market. Every day is a new adventure but as they say “the self-employed are the ones working 80 hours a week so they don’t have to work 40”.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our restaurant focuses on the organic overlap between the kitchens of the American Southeast and Latin America. We’re very tied to the seasons and change our menu every day. In our four years of being open, we’ve never repeated a dish. Every menu we produce is, in our opinion, the perfect snapshot of a point in time, never to be repeated. Each meal our guests enjoy with us is a wholly unique offering.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think that Atlanta is a very tricky market for small chef driven restaurants. Somewhere along the way it got in its head that it’s more metropolitan than it is and it has forgotten to update its opinion of food. We’re constantly struggling to find the balance between what we feel our guests would appreciate and what we feel is a contemporary dish. To the new business owner, I would recommend analyzing the market needs and wants and try to establish your niche early on. Have faith in your product and don’t be afraid to stay the course. It’s very easy to panic when you feel like your offerings aren’t immediately well received. Atlanta takes some convincing to get out and try something new.
Contact Info:
- Address: 349 14th st NW C-1, Atlanta GA 30318
- Website: www.betterhalfatl.com
- Phone: 404-695-4547
- Email: gm@betterhalfatl.com
- Instagram: @betterhalfcook
- Facebook: facebook/betterhalfatl
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