A variety of Atlanta restaurateurs and industry professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Rosa. The event provided a valuable opportunity for Atlanta’s restaurant community to connect, share ideas, and explore strategies for growing in a competitive market.
Rosa, located at 1190 N. Highland Avenue, hosted a free event that brought together dozens of representatives from businesses featured on What Now Atlanta. This included local restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees networked while enjoying drinks and light bites before participating in a presentation focused on strategies for expanding and succeeding in today’s competitive market.
The event was hosted by Kyle Dondero, Director and Partner Success at What Now Media Group, Inc., and featured a range of notable restaurateurs and business owners. Attendees included Brandon Hancock, co-owner of Rosa, who welcomed the group to the venue; Carlo Gan and Mia Gan, co-owners of Kamayan ATL, a Filipino restaurant; Solomon Adesanya, franchise owner of Kale Me Crazy; David Ward and Glenn Mills of Dos Caminos; Monica Sunny, owner of The Chai Box, a cafe specializing in warm spiced chia drinks; Rick Strom of Milkshake Factory; Lindsay and Nebi Berhane of Sugar Loaf, a local cafe; and Erica and Randy Walker of Playa Bowls.
The event highlighted several restaurant wins and milestones. Monica Sunny of The Chai Box shared her excitement about recently being selected by Costco for Southeast regional distribution, as well as opening a cafe to showcase the cultural heritage of warm, spiced chia. Lindsay and Nebi Berhane of Sugar Loaf were attending a professional networking event for the first time and eagerly connected with multiple partners, including Ryan Bee of US Foods, who confirmed recent product samples had been received. David Ward and Glenn Mills from Dos Caminos provided insight into the Landry’s hospitality group, their plans to take over the Oceanaire location, and strategies for retaining existing staff. Erica and Randy Walker of Playa Bowls praised the opportunity to network and connect with industry experts, while Robert Hopper of La Cueva discussed funding challenges and received advice from Connor Osborn of Credibly regarding financial solutions. Mia Gan of Kamayan ATL shared pride in elevating her Filipino cuisine along Burford Highway and the immigrant entrepreneurial experience.
The three-hour event began with 50 minutes for guest arrivals and mingling, followed by Kyle’s introduction of everyone. After welcoming attendees, he emphasized What Now Media Group’s commitment to helping new and expanding businesses grow through editorial coverage and access to preferred partners. The group participated in a quick ice breaker yoga pose, a fun and refreshing way to energize the room, followed by a “spirit cup” activity, where restaurant owners and partners took turns sharing their business stories and personal hospitality experiences to foster connections.
Representatives from several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners were present to provide guidance and support. Anthony Rapciewicz of Heartland shared strategies for payroll and HR management, while Kliff Sweeney of Global Payments spoke about POS systems and merchant services to streamline restaurant operations. Joy Wright of inKind discussed guest acquisition and loyalty strategies. Allen Graber and Michael Chen of Homegrown provided guidance on financing, and Derek Ward of Prudential Overall Supply offered expertise in linen and uniform management, bringing humor and practical insight.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Kyle Dondero to carry the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Kyle and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event provided a valuable platform for restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and establish new connections. It’s clear that the Atlanta restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations to take place.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2025. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
