Owner and Founder: Concentrics Restaurants
After four + decades in the restaurant business, Robert Amick is no stranger to the dining scene both in Atlanta and nationally. His experience covers the gamut of the industry and he has certainly created a following in the process.
In 1972, Amick received a B.A. from Oglethorpe University in Urbanology and Political Science. Upon graduation, Amick jumped right into the restaurant business and eventually landed at Stouffer’s Hotels from 1972-1974 where he was a member of the national opening and training team. Following Stouffer’s, he became a partner in Peasant Restaurants where he grew the company from 1 to 42 locations nationally. Here, he had a heavy hand in creating Mick’s Restaurants and City Grill, among other concepts. After the successful expansion, Amick and his partners sold to Quantum Restaurant Group in 1989. Amick stayed on as CEO, taking the company public (oversaw IPO and secondary offerings) under Morton’s Restaurant Group. In 1998, following his time at Peasant Restaurants, Amick opened the highly acclaimed Killer Creek Chophouse. Amick sold Killer Creek in 2001 and started the development of a series of high profile, chef-driven dining experiences in the burgeoning area of Midtown Atlanta; thus emerged Concentrics Restaurants. Concentrics Restaurants is an Atlanta-based restaurant operating group that not only owns restaurants but also offers a full-service design, development, consulting and management firm that provides A to Z food and beverage solutions for hoteliers, real estate firms and high net worth individuals across the nation. Concentrics is proud to develop one-of-a kind Chef driven restaurants.
Amick’s award-winning ONE. midtown kitchen opened in Atlanta in 2002 to local and national acclaim for its simplistic and uncomplicated approach to food, wine and service. TWO urban licks, Concentrics’ Atlanta sequel, set the country on fire with wood-roasted meats and fish in a funky, urban atmosphere. Not to mention, they created the wine on tap trend that has since swept the country. Concentrics’ third concept, TROIS, a fine dining French restaurant, quickly received “Best New Restaurant” from Esquire Magazine, among other accolades. TAP, Atlanta’s first authentic gastropub, opened in June 2007 and served seasonally driven, innovative comfort food. The Brasserie & Neighborhood Café at PARISH, a farm to table bi-level restaurant and market concept opened to great fanfare in spring 2008 in Atlanta’s hip Inman Park. The newest Concentrics restaurant, Bully Boy, opened November 2018 on the Atlanta BeltLine in the Old Fourth Ward offering Eastern seaboard fare from its farms, rivers and coastal waters, a nostalgic cocktail list, impressive wine program and local and coastal craft brews.
After the successes of ONE. midtown kitchen and TWO urban licks, Amick began expanding Concentrics. He realized the burgeoning demand to create and manage successful restaurants in hotels as well as freestanding restaurants for retail developments across the nation. Seeing this opportunity to expand beyond operating Atlanta restaurants, Amick launched two parallel subdivisions of the company in 2003 - a design and development consulting sector that specializes in creating one-of-a-kind restaurant concepts, along with a third-party management sector that focuses on managing these newly developed restaurants. This expansion of Concentrics Restaurants allowed Amick to form an impressive national presence.
Current and previous client concepts include Atlanta’s Murphy’s, The Painted Pin, The Painted Duck, FLIP Burger Boutique, HD1, La Pietra Cucina, STATS (a partnership with Atlanta’s Sports Radio 790 The Zone and Legacy Property Group), Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria (a partnership with Legacy Property Group), 30 Tables and 11 Stories at Glenn Hotel, Lobby Bar and Bistro ® and ROOM at Twelve® within TWELVE Hotels, owned by Novare Development, and Molly B’s Cookhouse and Molly B’s Kitchen at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Nationally, Concentrics has proudly created, consulted and represented a variety of hotel and restaurant clients including Winter Park, FL’s Luma on Park and Prato (with CEO and Chairman of the Board of NASCAR, Brian France), Three Sixty, an indoor-outdoor rooftop bar offering unparalleled view and perched atop of the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark (owned by LHM), St. Louis’ The Cheshire Hotel (The Restaurant, Basso, The Back Room, The Market, Upstairs - owned by LHM), 8UP: Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen at The Hilton at Clay Commons in Louisville, KY (FHG), Montgomery, AL’s Central, Chicago’s VU, Offshore and The Restaurants at theWit Hotel (ROOF, cibo matto, State + Lake - owned by the ECD Company), San Diego’s Juniper and Ivy (Chef Richard Blais and Juniper Hospitality), Orlando, FL’s SLATE and SOMM (with real estate developer Unicorp), Decatur, GA’s Mason Tavern, Dockery’s and The Establishment in Charleston, and Plough and The Exchange in Lancaster, PA and more. For a full portfolio, on Robert Amick and Concentrics Restaurants, please visit the Consulting tab at concentricsrestaurants.com
Amick's Concentrics Restaurants have been recognized in nationally-acclaimed publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Food Arts, O: The Oprah Magazine, Delta Sky, GO!, Lucky and InStyle magazine. Additionally, Concentrics boasted the first Atlanta chef to appear on the Food Network's culinary showdown, "Iron Chef America" and a feature on "Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels." Amick and his concepts have been nominated for several James Beard Awards including “Outstanding Restaurateur” and “Best Restaurant”. Furthermore, Amick received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Restaurant Association.
Partner
Todd Rushing's presence in the Atlanta restaurant scene has been long-running. A partner in the nationally acclaimed, Atlanta-based, Concentrics Restaurants, Rushing is responsible for creating nationally acclaimed innovative wine programs which have received numerous awards and recognition in publications such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Sprits, The Wine Report, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Restaurant Business, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Jezebel magazine.
Rushing's first culinary adventure was with the Atlanta powerhouse Peasant Restaurant Group alongside Bob Amick, current owner and founder of Concentrics Restaurants. He was then promoted to opening general manager, during which time he held the distinction of being the company's youngest to hold this position. Rushing progressed to a regional manager position, which he held until moving to the Copeland Restaurants in 1996. In 1998, Rushing joined Amick to open the highly-acclaimed Killer Creek. Killer Creek was sold in 2001 and at this time Amick and Rushing started the development of a series of high-profile, chef-driven dining experiences in the burgeoning area of Midtown Atlanta; thus emerged Concentrics Restaurants.
Rushing graduated with a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Southern Methodist University in 1987. He is married to wife Laurie and they have three children, Heather, Shane and Colette.
Justin Amick, Advanced Sommelier
Justin Amick attended Tulane University on a Division 1 Basketball scholarship. While playing point guard for the "Green Wave" and receiving his business degree, Amick solidified his love of food and wine in culture rich New Orleans. Following graduation in 2004, Amick moved to New York City where he was hired into Chef Tom Colicchio's CRAFT Restaurant's "Management Training Program". After honing his restaurant chops in front and back of the house positions for three years, he relocated to the Napa Valley where he worked for the Trinchero Family Estates's winemaking team. Amick is the proud recipient of the prestigious Rudd Scholarship from The Court of Master Sommeliers which he received in October 2011. The Rudd Scholarship honors the individual who received the highest combined score in the Advanced Sommelier Exam. Furthermore, Amick is a Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators and holds an Intermediate Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Also, he is a member of the Guild of Sommeliers, The Atlanta Tasting Group and a founding member of the Georgia Sommelier Association. Today, Amick consults, creates and trains on Concentrics Restaurants award-winning beverage programs across the country. Amick has been featured in The New York Post, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Sommelier Journal, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, Wine Business, Southern Living and on CNN.com as part of the "new wave of vino pros". He was also a featured judge on The Food Network's "Bobby Flays' Throwdown". Currently, Amick is studying for The Court of Master Sommelier's intensive Master Sommelier Diploma Examination of which only 186 have passed, worldwide.
Nicholas Oltarsh, Director of Culinary and Restaurant Analytics
Nick Oltarsh has had an enduring zeal for food and food culture since a young age. His childhood was replete with formative gustatory experiences inspired by New York City, where he grew up, and by his family’s love of dining, cooking, exploring food markets and travel.
A 1992 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Oltarsh is a seasoned and celebrated chef known for his passion, energy and business acumen. Prior to moving to Atlanta, where he has worked for Concentrics since 2002 and has been the Corporate Chef since 2008, Oltarsh began his career in the New York City kitchens of Aquavit, Lespinasse, Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park.
Now the Director of Culinary and Restaurant Analytics, Oltarsh develops and mentors chefs and managers, assists in creating new culinary concepts and launches restaurants and controlling costs. He is also an expert in forecasting.
Nick enjoys writing about foodways and has contributed by-lined articles, recipes and quotes to numerous local and national publications. His artistic temperament extends to collecting and creating art, seeking out authentic ethnic food, and scribbling up his cookbook collection.
Marisa Anderson, Vice President of Marketing
Marisa Anderson joined Concentrics Marketing & PR in December 2006 with event, Marketing, Public Relations, advertising and media experience. After graduating from Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA in 2000, Marisa landed in New York City where she handled new business development and Marketing for Forest Laboratories. Following her stint at Forest Laboratories, Marisa spent 5 years at L’Oreal USA where she was on the Media and Event Marketing Team. Marisa coordinated Marketing, Consumer, Trade and Outdoor Advertising, Event Marketing, Digital Media and Public Relations behind the REDKEN 5th Avenue brand. In 2005, Marisa joined the Atlanta based PR firm, The Reynolds Group, as a Senior account manager where she oversaw lifestyle, hospitality and restaurant clients. Marisa is currently the Vice President of Marketing and oversees the Marketing and Public Relations team since 2006.
John Turner, Designer
BoyBurnsBarn LLC is a New York City based graphic design studio specializing in all forms of visual communication such as branding, interactive, environmental, editorial and packaging amongst others. Turner has been on monthly retainer with Concentrics Marketing & PR since 2006 and is an extension of our in-house team. Based in New York City, Turner keeps our design and graphics in the forefront of the design industry. For the past five years BoyBurnsBarn has been providing a high level of carefully crafted design solutions for an eclectic mix of clients from around the world. Working in such industries as youth culture, luxury, media and entertainment, as well hospitality, the studio's collaborative nature with its clients has yielded exciting results. BoyBurnsBarn has been awarded and recognized by a number of design institutions and publications including The New York Times, Communication Arts, Graphics and The Webby Awards.