How this former hair salon owner built a thriving brunch brand in AtlantaHow this former hair salon owner built a thriving brunch brand in Atlanta

Teneshia Murray was working as a hair stylist and salon owner in Atlanta in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed her business forever. Murray wanted to switch professions and decided to open a restaurant, even though she never had professional experience in restaurant operations or worked in foodservice. Five years later, Murray now owns T’s Brunch Bar — a thriving, four-unit Southern comfort food-themed brunch brand — and has plans to open six more in the long term.

“I’m a serial entrepreneur, and have done so many things, so I just toured a lot of restaurants and kitchens and tasted the food, and I Googled brunch recipes,” Murray said. “Brunch is very competitive, so I wanted to make sure I was different, I wanted the look and feel of my restaurant to be fun and have my personality.”

She did not become an instant overnight success. Murray said that although she made many mistakes in beginning her new restaurant career, “those mistakes have made me great.” One mistake Murray made was treating a restaurant like a hair salon. When she owned salons, she opened new locations in quick succession, and Murray quickly realized that restaurant operations do not work the same way, so she ended up selling her first concept, Gritz Brunch Bar.

Related:Phillip Frankland Lee and Neen Williams expand Not a Damn Chance Burger

“It was very stressful, and I lost a million dollars in my first year, because that’s what happens when you open up too fast,” Murray said. “I’m really going to slow down now. I do want 10 restaurants eventually, but I’m not going to open any more for 2025. I’m going to wait.”

She also just converted another one of her restaurant business experiments, Red Velvet Bistro, into the fourth T’s Brunch Bar location after the original concept wasn’t working.

“My sales were low [at Red Velvet Bistro], but 90% of my sales were brunch, so I was thinking, ‘Why not just have brunch full-time?” she said. “So, I just decided two weeks ago, that I’m just going to change it [to a T’s Brunch Bar].”

T’s Brunch Bar is known for its party-like atmosphere, which includes a “Lit Brunch” on Saturdays and an R&B brunch on Sundays with a DJ, which encourages people to dance while drinking their mimosas and tucking into their grits. The menu — created by executive chef and Murray’s cousin, Jamarious Gilmere — includes unique renditions of Southern and Cajun favorites like chicken and waffles, catfish, and Cajun pasta.

“It’s brunch with a twist: it’s Southern soul food,” Murray said. “I have collard greens, mac and cheese, beignets, I add other things to my menu to stand out. That’s my twist on brunch.”

Related:PostBoy in Southwest Michigan draws Michelin-starred chefs to its new pop-up series

While Murray is waiting on the right time to expand, her brunch concept has been thriving. Besides a unique menu, T’s Brunch Bar boasts 38,000 followers on Instagram, with a feed filled with short-form videos that lean into social media trends, and not just static photos of food. Murray said that digital marketing is a crucial part of her business.

“I feel like marketing is just as important as paying your lease; the way we market is a big part of my success,” she said. “When I look at restaurants I want to go to, I’m looking up the dishes online. I market to the public everywhere.”

Even though T’s Brunch Bar won’t be opening any new locations in 2025, Murray is optimistic for the future in the Las Vegas, Miami, Charlotte, N.C.,and Houston metro areas. Then, once she gets to 10 locations, she’ll launch franchising and begin thinking about taking T’s Brunch Bar nationwide.

Contact Joanna at [email protected]