Atlanta Magazine Profiles Restaurateur Tom Catherall

In this month's Atlanta Magazine, restaurant columnist Christiane Lauterbach takes a look at "Thomas Catherall's Staying Power." The profile includes Catherall's humble beginnings and rise to wealth (as conveyed on his vanity plate: PO B 4) using the restaurant philosophy: "I want the masses, not the classes." The Here to Serve restaurateur has launched eleven restaurants in almost three decades, and according to the report, is planning a Texas-style barbecue spot complete with a brewery on the way for Buckhead in 2013. Also in the works, concessions at the expanding Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and a newly launched line of rieslings.

On Catherall's "an ass in every chair" business rep, Lauterbach closes:

"I bet Catherall is still sensitive to the unkind reviews his restaurants have received (party scenes and cooking tailored to the masses tend not to get much traction with critics) and wishes he got more love from the media. But his staying power—bolstered by incredibly loyal staffers...is a proud accomplishment in its own right."

· Thomas Catherall's Staying Power: Brags to Riches [Atlanta Magazine]