03/20/2019
March 19th, 2019
Dear Food 101,
On Monday, March 18, 2019, after nearly 20 years of serving Sandy Springs and beyond, we decided that it was time to shut your doors. Obviously, making this decision was beyond excruciating. Making these types of business decisions is incredibly difficult because after 20 years, you were much more than a restaurant to many of us; you literally became an innate part of many of our lives. And because the situation is charged with so much emotion, the act of making the decision often appears to have been made in a haphazard or thoughtless manner, but I promise you, many of us experienced a great deal of anguish and sheer confusion with deciding your fate. As the process became prolonged, our attention shifted to those who would be worst affected by your closing, and thus we continued to drag our feet, and avoid making that “final decision.” Moreover, I am quite certain that many of us never thought the day would come when you wouldn’t be an integral part of who we are as a restaurant group. After all, without Food 101, there would be no Meehan’s Public House; there would be no Smoke Ring or 101 Steak. You served as a foundation for us to build upon; to further explore our passions and creativity. Countless ideas that we would develop and cultivate were literally conceived in your back room by a vast array of people that we would collaborate with over a span of nearly 20 years. You were much more than a restaurant; you served much more than food and drinks as you helped cater our lives.
Simply thanking you for all that you did for us seems grossly understated. Over the course of nearly 20 years, you served over one million meals. You helped ease the tension of countless holidays for countless families. You helped us welcome new babies into the world. You gifted a ridiculous amount of birthday bread puddings. You helped celebrate the union of two people and in times of need, you helped console us through trying times. We’ll never be able to know or even begin to count the incredible amount of lives that you touched. From the folks who dined and drank with you several times a week, to the kids who grew up in your big ass booths, you became a landmark for so many of us. How many folks for years to come will let a friend or an Uber driver know that the other place they’re talking about or looking for is “right near Food 101?” You also helped so many of us (who worked for you) figure ourselves out. You were a catalyst for many friendships that still remain to this day, and you graciously served as a stepping-stone for many us who ventured down different paths, stronger and wiser from our time spent with you. For those of us looking to begin or continue our journey through the hospitality world, perhaps there was no better path than you. You provided a sound atmosphere, rich in passion and energy, with just the perfect amount of dysfunction and drama. You helped build more relationships than Match.com, Tinder and Bumble combined and you served almost as much fried chicken as the KFC Colonel, himself.
Although you were primarily known for serving ridiculously generous portions of meatloaf, pot roast and fried chicken, you also had a more refined side as times, as you impressed us with creative preparations of sea bass, scallops and tuna. You inspired strife amongst countless regulars who refused to quietly accept their favorite menu items being changed or removed from the menu. You poured as much La Crema as the average Starbucks pours coffee, and later on in life, as you flexed more of a “Southern” muscle; you garnered one of the most impressive bourbon collections in the entire city. And perhaps you never got the credit you truly deserved with your support of local growers and the sensation that would ultimately become the Eat Local movement.
As the years progressed, you simply made it look easy…simply put, most restaurants just don’t stay open 10 years, much less 15 years or 20 years. You quietly exceeded expectations on so many levels, and ultimately you became a pillar of the community. You were as reliable as the family dog, and you established an uncanny level of trust with your guests that redefined the dynamic of the restaurant-guest relationship. You epitomized the concept of the neighborhood restaurant, and were so much to so many. You attended countless food driven events throughout the years and helped support the growth of a number of charities. You gave out more gift cards then there are streets named “Peachtree” in Atlanta, and you rarely said “no” to anyone. We’re sorry if you sometimes felt under-appreciated or taken for granted, as that ironically, and unfortunately, seems to happens to those we love most. Food 101, you will be remembered by so many, in so many ways. You undoubtedly burned a number of trails within our restaurant and civic communities, and I am confident to speak on behalf of a great many people who are grateful that they got to enjoy some part of the 20 year ride.
With Love, Gratitude & Respect,
