ATL Life Magazine Spring 2023

This issue is our 10th issue!! 3rd Edition. The time has flew by! So many great interviews, meetings, meaningful relationships built and awesome work done in and around our communities in Metro Atlanta. I'm so proud of how far we've come in a short amount of time and looking forward to the future!

This issue focuses on some great talent and Atlanta staples. We truly hope that you enjoy!!

Now Streaming on the Tubi Network

The Urbans Comedy Series is Now Streaming on Tubi

TUBI'S newest comedy stars Rodney Perry, Clifton Powell, DonnellRawlings, Tyler Craig, and Bern Nadette Stanis

Tubi2 TV's latest comedy show, from Green Company Pictures, The Urbans, mirrors the Green brothers' life as business owners. The main character, J. Whitman (R. Saeed) is a successful upholstery shop owner on Urban Avenue, who although successful, is just as flawed as everyone else. Viewers get to experience Whitman’s everyday life, as he navigates a world full of humorously quirky characters. Written, produced, and directed by twins, the Green brothers,the sitcom stars Rodney Perry, Clifton Powell, Donnell Rawlings, Tyler Craig, & Bern Nadette Stanis. Audiences can expect a comedy with a unique and humorous perceptive. The Urbans is now available for streaming on TUBI.

About Tubi

Tubi, a division of FOX Entertainment, is an ad-supported video-on-demand service with more than 45,000 movies and TV shows in the U.S., including a growing library of Tubi Originals, 150+ local and live news, sports and entertainment channels, and 400+ entertainment partners, featuring content from every major Hollywood studio. Tubi gives fans of film, television, news, and sports an easy way to discover new content that is entirely free.

THE GREEN THE GREEN THE GREEN

BROTHERS BROTHERS BROTHERS

The Green Pictures Company

Tell me about your background, where you grew up and what path you wanted your careers to go down…

We’re originally from Boston but have been in Georgia since we were about 5 years old. We’ve always been involved in entertainment in some shape or form. We’ve managed artists, we’ve run a studio. It wasn’t until 2007 when we were working with an artist trying to help with their development and we decided to edit their video. We thought that we could tighten it up a bit and tweak it here and there. I took the video and used some software that was similar for music editing and changed it up a bit and that’s when we decided that we can really do this. Our success didn’t come until we started filming.

Tell me about Green Company Pictures and how it started

Our company really started with that experience of editing the video for that artist. We waited a bit until we got some more equipment, then we started writing a few scripts and coming up with stories for filming after that first video edit. We invested in cameras and equipment and more editing software because we knew how serious we were about starting Green Company Pictures. We decided to film a Sci-Fi “short” {film} once we had our cameras, we thought it would take about a week or so to film…but it ended up taking 2 years! We wanted it to be a 5-minute film, but we kept adding to it. Honestly, that ended up being our learning process during those two years.

You have a new comedy show on TUBI Network called “The Urbans”, starring Rodney Perry, Clifton Powell, Tyler Craig, Bern Nadette Stanis, and featuring Donnell Rawlings. describe for our readers what the show is about

Rodney Perry is a regular on the show, Tyler Craig was a regular on the show as well but unfortunately he passed away which was a tragic moment in our production. He was the first person of notoriety that was cast on the show. It was the very first episode and that’s really how he attracted the other actors and comedians to the show. So we started looking at Rodney Perry’s character and realized how we could utilize his character more. Clifton Powell said “yes” immediately and Bernadette Stanis was brought in by our Co-producer.

Bernadette is in quite a few episodes next season- trying not to give too much away.

What is the premise of the show? What can the audience expect to see in the first season?

The show centers around Jay Whitman, an upholstery shop owner, who's pretty successful and it’s located on Urban Avenue. The name “the Urbans” is a nickname for the business owners on Urban Avenue. It shows Jay going in and out of speaking with different people where I bounce ideas off of them. In the show itself, I’m not trying to accomplish a specific goal or anything like that- it’s really a show about nothing- almost like a Seinfield. Jay the main character is not married, doesn’t have any kids or a lot of family.. He’s just kind of going through life. He goes on dates and hangs out with friends and such, he's a blue collar, hard working successful character with charisma and style.

How does it feel being partnered with TUBI Network? How is the working relationship between you and the network?

Our distributor already had a strong working relationship with the Tubi Network which is owned by Fox. What we like about working with Tubi is that they gave us the freedom to retain our artistic creativity. It was something that was very important to us. The product on the screen is coming straight from us- and that’s what the audience is seeing.

As you know, Atlanta is quickly becoming dubbed “The Hollywood of the South”.. what advice do you have for talented individuals in Atlanta who want to break into the industry?

Pay attention to the details! We’re very detail oriented. You also have to look at the material that is already successful and ask yourself “why”? If you don't have the budget or money for all that you’re trying to do- fine, that will come. But focusing on the things that you can controllike the details- it’ll help you get to where you’re trying to go much quicker. You can control the environment to a certain extent- you can control the cameras and the angles, you can control the sound, these are things that you can control and don’t bypass or skip over having that quality in what you do.

Tell me what’s next on the horizon for your company

We have all episodes done for next season already with about 10 episodes. Right now the focus is on The Urbans as it’s the flagship for our company. As it becomes more successful it will open up room for us to do more!

Dessert Wars 2023 Nationwide Tour Tickets

on Sale!

Tickets for all 8 cities plus the National Championship are on sale now! Make sure to secure your tickets before they sell out!

In the most anticipated Dessert Wars season ever, the Largest Dessert Festival in America will be hosting events in 8 cities in 2023 and capping it off with a National Championship!

The tour will kick off in Las Vegas and continue on to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Palm Beach, Charlotte, Miami, Tampa and Atlanta.

The National Championship will take place in Atlanta on December 2 and the event will feature the Top 3 vendors of the People's Choice and Judges Championship in each city. A total of 48 vendors will be chasing the crown and the winners of the People's Choice and Judges Championship on December 2 will each win $10,000!

For more info, please visit dessert-wars.com

To learn more about Honor Roll Clothing, visit HonorRollClothing.com.

To learn more about Atlanta Fashion Week, visit atlantafashionweek.co/.

The Hawks Shop, the official team store of the Hawks, collaborated with Atlanta Fashion Week to select local Black-owned business Honor Roll Clothing, a unisex lifestyle brand dedicated to utilizing creativity to challenge the perspective of culture, to design limited-edition apparel for fans. Inspired by the team's PEACH City Edition uniforms, the joint effort involves a limited-edition shirt and hoodie designed by the co-founders of Honor Roll Clothing and the Hawks Brand Merchandising Department. These items are available for purchase at the Hawks Shop across from Gate 1 at State Farm Arena.

"We are excited to team up Honor Roll Clothing for this limited-edition capsule which truly embodies the iconic Atlanta style while still repping the Hawks," said Hawks' Senior Vice President of Brand Merchandising Amy Serino. "By sharing our platform with this amazing brand, we continue to stay 'True To Atlanta' and empower local creators."

"Through this collaboration, ATLFW and the Atlanta Hawks are both committed to creating opportunities that fosters equity and inclusion for independent brands," said Angela Watts, founder of Atlanta Fashion Week. "We appreciate the Atlanta Hawks supporting our mission of giving independent brands like Honor Roll the positive push, they need to shape a sustainable future for their business."

Honor Roll Clothing was founded in 2010 by Blair Caffey, Chris Duncan and Darnell Shepherd. The lifestyle brand is dedicated to utilizing its creativity to challenge the perspective of culture. Honor Roll's clothing uses inspirational phrases and imagery to cultivate the community.

"Honor Roll Clothing is proud to partner with Atlanta Fashion Week and the Atlanta Hawks for this limited-edition collection," said Duncan. "Together, we embody the soul and heart of what makes Atlanta great: perseverance, creativity and heritage."

Cinnaholic,theoriginal,gourmetcinnamonrollbakery, madelifealittlesweetertodaybyannouncingthree newlimitedtimeofferingsforspring.

LemonIceboxPieRoll–LemonIceboxfrostingtoppedwithfreshlemonzest,homemade piecrumbleandpowderedsugar

CoconutCreamPieRoll–Frenchvanillafrostingtoppedwithhomemadecoconut custard,grahamcookiesandpiecrumble

LemonberryCoffeeCake–Azestyhomemadecoffeecakefilledwithlemonjuiceand freshblueberries,toppedwithstreuselandlemonglaze;thisitemwillseasonallyreplacethe BananaBreadgrab-and-gooffering.

Withmorethan20frostingflavorsandover20toppingchoices, Cinnaholicistheonlygourmetbakerythatallowscustomerstocompletelycustomizetheir cinnamonrolls.

Inadditiontothe82Cinnaholiclocationsopentoday,25newlocations willopenin2023withanother40indevelopment.

EachCinnaholiccinnamonrollis100%plant-basedandfreeofdairy,lactose,eggsand cholesterol,allowinggueststoenjoytheirmouthwateringcreationswithoutworryingabout certaindietaryorallergyrestrictions.

Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Cinnaholic is the only gourmet bakery that allows customers to completely customize cinnamon rolls with more than 20 frosting flavors and over 20 topping choices. Each Cinnaholic cinnamon roll is 100% plant-based and free of dairy, lactose, eggs or cholesterol, allowing guests to enjoy their mouthwatering creations without worrying about certain dietary or allergy restrictions. To learn more about Cinnaholic franchise opportunities, call (404) 844-8661. For more information about Cinnaholic bakeries, visit www.cinnaholic.com.

The Painted Pickle Coming Soon September 2023

Painted Pickle will be a high end pickleball compeatery, gaming, and entertainment venue. A compeatery is our trademarked term to describe our one-of-a-kind hybrid venue merging a full-service bar and restaurant with pickleball, and other competitive social amenities. In short, a compeatery is a place to compete, eat, drink and be social! Pickleball is one of the fastest growing recreational and participatory sports in the country that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton.

The Print Shop’s Spring Exhibition at Hotel Colee

Spotlights Local Female Artists

Lobby gallery wall features Atlanta-based female artists, in honor of Women’s History Month

Hotel Colee, Buckhead’s first Autograph Collection Hotel with a passion for celebrating creative culture, continues its partnership with The Print Shop by launching a special exhibition in honor of Women’s History Month. The hotel’s lobby gallery wall will display a collection of fine art archival prints representing female Atlanta artists throughout the spring. “Hotel Colee has always been dedicated to supporting the local arts scene, and we are so excited to recognize these artists who inspire our local community and beyond,” says General Manager Delane McCoy. Local artists represented in the lobby gallery wall include: Carla Contreras, Jenny Brown, Courtney Hicks, Elaine Stephenson, Lauren Head, Angela Faustina, Alea Hurst, Elisa Sanchez, Kayleen Scott and Erin Nicole Henry.

The Print Shop by Free Market, headquartered in Ponce City Market, creates limited edition, exclusively licensed prints, collectibles, apparel, and merchandise by local artists.“This is a truly special and eclectic collection of prints,” said The Print Shop Founder Parsa Behnamiri. “We hope that locals and visitors who walk through the lobby at Hotel Colee this month feel inspired to learn more and support this incredible group of creatives.”

Fundraising Night for ALS

Celebrity athletes raise awareness and funds for Emory University

Check presentation at Emory to Dr Glass and Dr Fournier who run the ALS Clinic

Pictured left to right: Former NFL Steelers player, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, along with 2nd and 3rd place winners

Fundraising Night for ALS

Celebrity athletes raise awareness and funds for Emory University

JaniceOverbeckandFormerNFLFalconsplayer,TeranceMathisreccentlyhostedaCelebrity PokerNightFundraiserforEmoryALS.Attendeesjoinedtogethertotrytheirluckinthe tournamentwhileraisingfundsthroughasilentauctionandBigGreenEggraffle.Otherlocal celebritiessuchasJeromeBettisA.K.A“theBus”(NFL),JessieTuggle(NFL),andCorey Patterson(MLB)cametosupportthecauseandplayinthetournamentwithlocalfansand eventgoers.Throughdonations,silentauction,andraffleticketssold,theeventraised $30,116.30presentedtoDr.JonathanGlassoftheEmoryALSReachCenter.Sinceitsinception in2016,theJaniceOverbeckRealEstateTeam’snon-profit,JOGives,Inc.,hashosted fundraisingeventsinadditiontomakingdonationstotheEmoryUniversityALSResearch Centerannually.“SincelosingmyfathertoALSin2015andmorerecentlywitnessingmy aunt'songoingbattlewiththedisease,Ihavedevelopedaprofoundpassionforresearchand findingacureforthisdevastatingaffliction.Itisimperativethatweallocateadditionalfunding towardsgainingadeeperunderstandingofthediseaseandidentifyingpotentialriskfactors. DespitesignificantstridesinresearchthathaveenabledmanyALSpatientstoleadlonger, morefulfillinglives,thereremainsasignificantamountofworkthatneedstobedone.”says Overbeck.FormoreinformationoncurrentresearchandclinicaltrialsforALSortomakea donationpleasevisit: http://www.neurology.emory.edu/ALS/research/

One of the largest FREE jazz festivals in the country, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is an annual celebration of music, culture, and the art of jazz. The festival returns to historic Piedmont Park, in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, from Saturday, May 27 through Monday, May 29 from 11 am to 11 pm each day. Attendees will enjoy music featuring local, national, and international artists.

The 46th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival is presented by the City of Atlanta

- Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs.

The mission of the Atlanta Jazz Festival is to educate and entertain a diverse audience of jazz fans and to nurture the next generation of jazz musicians. The festival is funded through corporate sponsorships and by Atlanta Jazz Festival Inc, a 501(c)(3) cultural, non-profit organization. For more information about this year's festival including park rules, transportation options, nearby accommodations, VIP Experience, or the Late-Night Jazz Concert, visit the website at atljazzfest.com

"We have an incredible roster of musicians performing at the 46th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival this Memorial Day Weekend," says Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the City of AtlantaMayor's Office of Cultural Affairs. "Whether you like sultry vocalists, contemporary, traditional, swing, fusion, or Latin Jazz, we have something for every jazz lover. To learn more about the artists who are performing at this year's festival, visit our website at atljazzfest.com. We'll see you in the park!"

Here's the schedule in Piedmont Park:

Saturday, May 27

1 pm Lakecia Benjamin – jazz, funk, and R&B saxophonist

3 pm Tony Hightower – vocalist

5 pm David Sanchez – Latin jazz saxophonist

7 pm Samara Joy – vocalist

9 pm Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis

Sunday, May 28

1 pm Sélène Saint-Aimé – afro-French bassist and vocalist

3 pm Brandee Younger – contemporary jazz, soul, and funk harpist

5 pm Javon Jackson & the Gospel according to Nikki Giovanni – poet & saxophonist

7 pm José James – hip-hop infused jazz vocalist

9 pm Stanley Clarke – jazz fusion bassist

Monday, May 29

1 pm Satya – singer/songwriter

3 pm James Francies – pop influenced jazz pianist

5 pm Brenda Nicole Moorer – singer/songwriter

7 pm Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) – trumpeter & jazz innovator

9 pm Ledisi – R&B and jazz vocalis

Atlanta Icon, Chops Lobster Bar, is Back and Better Than Ever

Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed, family operated culinary group, is reopening the doors to Chops Lobster Bar after extensive renovations Niko Karatassos, Co-President, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group coins the restaurant “better than ever. ”

Exciting Design Enhancements

An entirely new dining room , named the “Plaza Room” , available for private group dining or individual reservations that are sure to be tough to secure this fall and winter. Iron doors will open to the redesigned, luxe Buckhead Plaza , shared by incredible neighbors Umi , Chai Yo , The Garden Room and The St Regis Sophisticated finishes lending polished elegance that Chops has always been known for , and contemporary artwork curated by Fay Gold , one of the nation’s most respected art consultants based in Buckhead.

Thoughtful Menu Additions

In addition to the physical updates made to the exterior and interior of Chops Lobster Bar , diners can also expect to see a few notable updates to the menu , including:

• Expansion of dry-aged meat selections

• New escargot appetizer, a popular dish served “Bistro Niko style”, which has been well-received by diners at the Lobster Bar Sea Grille location in Ft. Lauderdale , Fl.

• Wood-grilled octopus appetizer with marinated red onions , Greek olives and capers, which is the signature dish from the group ’ s acclaimed sister restaurant Kyma.

The Legacy Continues for Chops & the Buckhead Life Family

“We have been seeing our Chops customers at other Buckhead Life restaurants more often since the restaurant closed , because they know they will be taken care of and love the treatment they receive , ” said Niko. “But we are ready to get them back through the iconic front door of Chops.” Chops Lobster Bar has gratefully served the Atlanta community since its opening in 1989 and doesn’t take the relationships with its guests for granted. Often acting as “the extra room in your house” for special occasions , the team looks forward to welcoming guests back for graduation dinners , engagement celebrations , business deals and your impromptu middle-of-the-week date night very soon Pano said it best: “Chops is Atlanta’s favorite restaurant. Every night at Chops is a Saturday night.”

Niko Karatassos, President of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group

Tell me about Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and its background

My father opened the first Buckhead Life restaurant in 1979; it was our flagship restaurant for many years. He was then approached by the owner of Lenox Mall at the time, while he didn't have any intentions on opening more than one restaurant, the Lenox Mall owner made an offer my father couldn’t turn it down. This led to the opening of Atlanta Fish Market, originally at the backside of Lenox Mall where the food court is today. After that success, he continued to open up new concept after new concept. The reason why our restaurants have such strong staying power is because they each offer very “identifiable” food concepts, done at a very high level of quality, execution and build out. I think everyone knows what they’re going to get when they come to a Buckhead Life restaurant.

Tell me about your staff within the restaurant group..

We have a great group of some of the most talented hospitality professionals that you’d find in the United States. Some people have spent most of their careers within the company. We all work really hard together side by side and there’s a lot of trust involved in the relationships; it’s been one of the calling cards of the company…our people.

Describe for my readers the difference between Chops - The Lobster Bar vs Chops - The Restaurant

Chops opened first in 1988, after about 10 years, we acquired the lower level space and turned it into the Lobster Bar. The menus at each are very similar, basically the same; most people don’t realize that. The main difference is the ambiance. Some guests prefer the ambiance of the Lobster Bar and some guests prefer Chops, and we have many guests who like to dine at both. We also have the private Club next to the Lobster Bar. The Club at Chops has a cigar bar and dining room, but it’s only available to members. When you put all of it together between Chops, The Lobster Bar and the Club – the experience is at another level of polish and sophistication; it’s Hollywood in Atlanta.

What does the guest experience look like?

In all of our restaurants, guests have high expectations when they walk in the door. What we have to do is meet and exceed those expectations. This is where we want to be – at the top. The guests that come are expecting to get the best of the best. It’s what drives us. We pride ourselves on providing the best service, quality, food and experience that we can. It starts at Valet and continues on to the hostess stand, to the bar, to when you sit down. The smallest details can make all the difference to the guest experience.

What makes Atlanta so unique to you?

Atlanta is home. Not just for me but for the company; it’s home base. Atlanta has one of the most vibrant restaurant scenes in the country. For the amount of amazing restaurants that Atlanta has vs. the population size, it’s a “foodie” town. Atlanta’s been in the conversation for a long time, and it just continues to dominate. People come regionally to Atlanta to dine, to shop, to stay, to play and to live. It also attracts business. Atlanta is a big business town, which is important, but it’s also a very livable city. The airport has done such a phenomenal job at growing the city and making it the “hub" that it is. It’s a huge driver for everyone.