Michelin Guide Returns to Atlanta: Who’s Footing the Bill?

The Michelin Guide Awards Ceremony returns for a second year in Atlanta on October 28 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

“We are excited to reveal what year two has in store for the 2024 restaurant selection in Atlanta,” says Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guides, in an official statement. “Our anonymous inspectors continue to be impressed in the talent they have witnessed firsthand throughout the local restaurant community.”

The 2023 ceremony awarded the one star to Atlas, Bacchanalia, Hayakawa, Lazy Betty, and Mujo. Here is the complete list of bib gourmand and recommendation winners from last year.

Who’s footing the Michelin bill?

In short, it’s the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. According to the organization, $1 million was spent on a three-year contract with the Michelin Guide. This means the tire company will evaluate the city’s restaurants for at least three years, with a renewal possible after 2025.

The Bureau is funded in two ways: from a percentage of tax made on hotel stays and private donor funding. The Michelin contract was paid for entirely from private funding. The Bureau does not have a say in the selection of the restaurants.

“The only play we have is setting the geographic area we are under contract for, which is metro Atlanta,” says Andrew Wilson, executive vice president & chief marketing officer of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Wilson predicts more restaurants beyond the Atlanta perimeter may receive recognition this year.

“I don’t think we’ll get any two-stars yet. I think the city has some growth in that area,” he says.

Restaurant growth over the last year

“We saw a 20 to 30 percent increase in business almost immediately,” says Aaron Phillips, co-founder and executive chef at one-Michelin-starred Lazy Betty in Midtown. “It was not just in business — people wanted to work here, more talent was coming in from out of town.”

For Lazy Betty, which opened in 2019, the move from its original Candler Park location to Midtown in the former Empire State South space was already in motion before it received the Michelin nod. Phillips says the move to a bigger location with a larger staff was good timing with the award and the resulting growth they’ve seen since then.

Atlas

Freddy Money, chef and culinary director of one-Michelin-starred Atlas, says beyond the “exponential growth” he has noticed people globally are interested in working at the restaurant. He says Atlanta is becoming a city young chefs want to train in.

“We have a J-1 apprenticeship program with 14 students from around the world working and training in different stages of the kitchen at all times,” says Money. “We have a 12-month curriculum. We now have a pressure to be educative.”

Additionally, Atlas hosts the “Four Hands Collaboration Series” where global guest chefs, often from other Michelin-starred restaurants, cook alongside chef Money, serving one-off tasting menus. Money says having Michelin attached to the restaurant means staff can use the recognition on their resumes, further opening doors to new opportunities.

Diversity and representation

Mia Orino, chef and co-owner of Michelin-recommended Kamayan ATL, also reports a 20 to 25 percent growth in business, including catering orders, since the announcement. The Filipino restaurant usually has a line out the door throughout the week and is expanding to a second location on Buford Highway (in the same plaza as the current location) in the coming year. But it’s not just the revenue for Orino, it’s also representation.

“Our cuisine and culture are underrepresented, so a shoutout for us from Michelin is a boost for the community,” says Orino. “We’re seeing more non-Filipino diners and first-timers experience our food.”

Kamayan ATL

Right now, there are only 12 Filipino restaurants on the Michelin Guide in the U.S., including Atlanta’s Kamayan and Estrellita with a bib gourmand. Orino says it’s “a blessing” to see her cuisine marked on a global platform.

“Atlanta has always been underappreciated nationally and internationally, from diversity and quality of ingredients coming from local sources,” says Wilson. “Michelin in some people’s mind is stuffy, French-style dining. They went grid-wide in their selections last year. My hope is they continue.”

Ryan Fleisher

How Michelin star and bib gourmand restaurants are chosen

Restaurants don’t get to keep their stars forever. They have to be earned every year. Restaurants under consideration are inspected multiple times a year before being granted a Michelin star rating or bib gourmand distinction. Restaurants receiving a star or stars must consistently meet the following five criteria upon each visit by dining inspectors:

1. Quality products and ingredients
2. Harmony of flavors
3. Mastery of cooking techniques
4. Voice and personality of the chef reflected in the cuisine
5. Consistency of food and service between visits by the inspector

* One star means a restaurant incorporates high-quality cooking and is worthy of a stop.

** Two stars mean a restaurant offers excellent cooking and people should make a detour to prioritize a meal.

*** Three stars mean a restaurant is deemed exceptional and special enough to become part of someone’s travel plans in a city.

Michelin also grants restaurants with high-quality food at affordable prices (or “best value for money”) Bib Gourmand status. Restaurants with excellent sustainable and environmentally friendly practices are awarded a Michelin Green Star. Some Atlanta restaurants may also receive a recommendation mention from Michelin in the guide, but not a star or bib gourmand rating.