Coming HOME to Chattanooga

I’m a fine artist and a poet. I like to think I’m just a creative, really, and I love people. I feel the best way for me to express the world around me is through those mediums — through fine art, poetry or jumping on any creative team. It’s all about, “What am I trying to say?” Art is in my nervous system.

I’m more of a foodie behind the scenes. I feel just as much of a customer as the customers are going to feel. Hopefully, when they come, they feel at home. Our philosophy is that you’re already home where you feel love. And so, we’re driving this real heavy push on making people feel a part of the family, part of the community. The three partners that are in on this restaurant with me — we’re all really baked into the community.

My wife and I have been talking about the idea of a restaurant for two or three years. We were always traveling so much; we went on a 460-day tour. We started to slow down, and we linked up with two partners who also wanted to start a restaurant, and the timing and synergy were just perfect.
It’s going to be Bay Area with a Southern twist. Laid-back, sophisticated. I just think of it as something different. I think different is what causes us to evolve, to innovate. I think having some Bay Area vibes with a Southern twist will be good for the city. And we have great restaurants here already.

We’re getting about 50 paintings from different artists, mostly from the area but some that we just admire from our travels. I did my own version of this Michelangelo kind of vibe on the ceiling. I’m going to have maybe one or two canvases in there, but most of the work will be by other artists.

That’s home. That’s where I was born; that’s where two of my business partners were born. That’s where we call home. It was an easy decision.