In this series we are highlighting couples that own and run restaurants in Atlanta. We’ll talk about what it’s like to work together as a couple among other personal aspects. This week’s features is Kelvin and Many Slater, owner’s of Ponce City Market’s Skyline Park.
1.) How did you meet? Kelvin and I met in Melbourne, FL when he hired me as a server at Chili’s. He was a manager and left shortly after hiring me and went to work with another concept and traveled around the country with them opening new stores until he ended up in a nearby town as the manager of that new store. I went in to eat one day and remembered him and we began dating shortly after. He’ll tell you I was stalking him at his job, but that isn’t (entirely 😉 true.
2.) Where did you get the idea for Skyline Park? Skyline Park is the concept we created and developed to fit in with what the developer of Ponce City Market already had in place which was the vision for the amusement park on the roof. We knew the concept had to match the whimsical fun of a boardwalk carnival.
3.) Have you ever had different opinions on how to handle a customer issue and how did you handle it? We’re usually on the same page but I tend to over complicate things and Kelvin can get to the point in those matters quicker and it usually ends up being the better route for all involved.
4.) If you didn’t run a restaurant or Skyline Park, what other business would you see yourselves doing? Definitely something in the hospitality/restaurant business, but we just generally have entrepreneurial minds so we are always looking for ways to turn something into a business. If it was up to Kelvin, we would have 5 or 6 different businesses.
5.) What is the hardest thing about working with your spouse? It is kind of all we’ve known. We got married two weeks before we opened our first restaurant. One of the hardest things is deciding on roles- who will do what and letting the other person handle that area.
6) Obviously the hospitality industry is very demanding. How do you find time to just be a regular married couple and not business partners? We try to carve out time weekly to sit down and discuss our household, kids, our personal goals, our marriage goes, etc. We call it our “staff meeting”. It keeps us connected and reminds us that we are married and parents above business partners.
7) Where do you like to dine in Atlanta when you have the chance to dine out? Our favorites have changed as new restaurants come on the scene, but some of our favorites that haven’t changed are the Rathbuns, Rumi’s Kitchen and a new favorite is Colletta in Alpharetta. We don’t get up there very often but love it when we do. We usually try new places on recommendations from friends. I’m still dying to try Gun Show and Staplehouse is next on the list.
Read Part 1 of Power Couples Series
Read Part 2 of Power Couples Series
Read Part 3 of Power Couples Series
Read Part 4 of Power Couples Series
Read Part 5 of Power Couples Series
