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At a very young age, restaurateur Javarius Gay learned the secret to success in the culinary industry: the importance of hospitality. “When I was 15 years old, I started working for a Culver’s ButterBurger franchise,” recalls the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, native.
He enjoyed getting to know customers, and provided exceptional customer service, that his employers took note. He was eventually promoted to team leader, then not long after, to manager.
“I was managing at 16 years old and I had a crew of 10-plus [individuals] who were many years older than me, all adults, all in college. And here I am a high school kid doing scheduling and things of that nature,” says Gay who worked at the ButterBurger franchise through high school.
He continues, “The hospitality part—having conversations with the customers, the regulars—I enjoyed talking to and meeting new people. And there’s no better place to meet them than over food.”
A Detour to Success
Admitting that “cooking was never my specialty,” Gay pursued his education and attended Atlanta’s Morehouse College on a basketball scholarship, graduating in 2016 with a degree in business management with a minor in sales.
Although he planned to play pro basketball overseas, things didn’t turn out as he imagined. “I messed up my knee,” he recounts. Following his college sports career, and subsequent knee injury, Gay leveraged his business degree to pursue opportunities in the sales and business sector.
“This experience [in business] was instrumental in preparing me for my journey as a restaurant owner,” shares the entrepreneur.
Today the entrepreneur calls Atlanta his home and is making waves with a string of buzz-worthy restaurants (one of which is The Boiler Seafood and Crab Boil, the popular seafood restaurant he opened with business partner and chef Chad Dillon in 2020).
Longtime friends Gay and Dillon met through mutual acquaintances in the culinary industry and shared a passion for food and entrepreneurship that eventually led them to discuss potential business ventures together. After careful consideration and planning, they decided to collaborate and co-founded The Boiler Seafood and Crab Boil.
“After co-founding The Boiler with Chad in 2020, I transitioned to open Prime Cigar in 2023 and Prime on Peachtree in 2024,” shares Gay about his burgeoning restaurant business, each operated independently.
“While Chad Dillon has been a valuable mentor and advisor, I do not operate under his Privilege Restaurant Group umbrella, except for The Boiler, which operates as a separate entity,” says Gay.
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A Prime Location
His latest venture, Prime on Peachtree, is a newly opened fine-dining establishment that serves as a testament to the businessman’s belief in not only providing diners with an excellent meal but also unparalleled service.
According to Gay, he named the restaurant Prime on Peachtree because it’s located on prime midtown Atlanta real estate. The restaurant has the distinction of sitting across the street from the Federal Reserve and is neighbors with the luxury Loews Atlanta Hotel along with upscale high-rise residences—including Gay’s condo unit which he bought in 2017. Prime on Peachtree is “literally two seconds away” from his home notes the restauranteur.
Housed in a building with 32,000 square feet, Prime on Peachtree is part of what Gay calls his “entertainment venue” that includes sister restaurant Prime Cigar (a cigar lounge) and his upcoming Prime Bowling.
“My goal for my restaurants is to create vibrant and dynamic spaces that offer unique dining experiences to our guests,” says Gay. “My aim is to provide diverse entertainment options while maintaining the highest standards of quality and service.”
Each establishment is separate from one another with their own entrances but are housed within the same building, details the businessman. “Prime on Peachtree has a more intimate, date night steakhouse type of vibe. But I don’t consider it a steakhouse though that’s the atmosphere,” says
Gay about Prime on Peachtree that celebrated its grand opening last month on January 9.
A Seasonal Menu and Showstopping Decor
Prime on Peachtree offers an eclectic seasonal menu created by executive chef Colin Kruzic, formerly of the Dominick Hotel in New York City. “What I mean by a seasonal menu is we do have steak options and seafood delicacies but we are looking to add sushi to the menu. We have quail, duck chowder soup, lamb meatballs and branzino,” describes Gay about some of the dining options available.
“We have a range of menu items that’s why we don’t corner ourselves into that box as a steakhouse.”
Likewise, the show stopping cocktail offerings crafted by mixologist Tanisa Murray are just as unique and worthy of a spot on your social media feed. Gram worthy items include the bestselling 24-karat cocktail (featuring an ice cube wrapped in edible gold foil) and the Prime Lychee (crafted with both vodka and tequila).
Prime on Peachtree currently serves dinner seven days a week with plans in upcoming months to offer lunch service as well. “We’re going to roll out a fine-dining brunch on Saturdays and Sundays that will launch sometime in the summer,” reveals Gay.
While Prime on Pearchtree seats 120, it manages to give off an intimate vibe thanks to clever seating arrangements, like the glass-enclosed chef’s table (a VIP room which seats 12-15 diners) and a massive U-shaped booth (with seating available on both sides).
Lighting also adds to the moody ambiance thanks to a gorgeous LED tree whose color-changing leaves, synced with the bar lighting, takes center stage in the dining room.
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Prime on Peachtree is All About the Hospitality
Beyond the mouth-watering menu, tempting cocktails and sexy decor, Prime on Peachtree offers something Gay believes is the key to its success. “We strive on our hospitality here at Prime. And what I mean by that is we interact with all our customers…We have frequent visitors and we know them by their first names, we get personal with them.
“So it’s not like you’re just coming out to eat at a restaurant, it’s more like you’re eating at home with your family at dinner,” describes the restauranteur about the welcoming atmosphere he presents through excellent service.
According to Gay, staff at Prime on Peachtree go through a 4-6 week training process before they are even allowed to interact with customers in the dining room. Gay attributes his time working at Culver’s ButterBurger as a touchstone on creating friendships and relationships with customers.
“Training not only consist of knowing the menu and cocktails inside and out, but it also goes through our steps of service—from greeting at the door to proper interactions once the customer sits down,” he says about the importance of building personal rapport with patrons.
“So the next time they come in, they ask for [a particular server] because they feel comfortable…I feel that’s what the hospitality industry is all about: networking and relationships.”
It’s an invaluable lesson the entrepreneur learned back in the day which now serves him well and forges his success in the culinary world.
Prime on Peachtree is located at 1029 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. Visit the restaurant online and follow on Instagram @primeonpeachtree.
