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Fan Male: Pano Karatassos
Founder, president of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group
by Kate Yandoh
September 1, 2005
P
ano Karatassos is as passionate about the fight against hunger as he is about running his
restaurants. As the founder and president of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group - parent company of
such popular dining establishments as Pano's & Paul's, Bluepointe, Chops, Atlanta Fish Market,
Buckhead Diner, Kyma, Veni Vidi Vici, Corner Café, Nava and Pricci - Karatassos has a simple yet
profound philosophy that drives him. "Those of us who make our living from the hospitality industry
have a responsibility to take care of the hunger problem and lead the way. It's our responsibility
to give back," he emphasizes.
Giving back to
others is a belief he has widely shared with colleagues, suppliers and employees over the span of
his 26 years at the helm of Buckhead Life. It goes back to 1986 when Karatassos was initially
approached by the Atlanta Community Food Bank about becoming a founding member of Atlanta's Table,
and leading efforts to distribute leftover food from the city's white tablecloth restaurants.
Karatassos had long assisted the organization with fundraising events, but he jumped at the
opportunity to join Atlanta's Table because it would allow him to execute a different vision - one
that would set the tone for his continuing two-decade-long affiliation with the organization.
Instead of donating excess prepared and perishable foods, he offered to create and lead a
program in which Atlanta's finest restaurants would donate freshly cooked foods for distribution to
the needy. He rallied colleagues and wholesalers, and developed standards to ensure food safety. In
its first month, Atlanta's Table distributed 1,500 pounds of food. Today, the program donates
approximately 35,000 pounds of food each month to help needy individuals, families and children.
Karatassos's work to eradicate hunger continued as he accepted a request to initiate
Atlanta's participation in the Share Our Strength "Taste of the Nation" fundraiser in 1986. Under
his leadership, the Atlanta event set records for fundraising literally the first year it was
introduced here. For more than a decade, Atlanta has raised more than any of the nearly 100 host
cities, and over the course of nearly 20 years, Atlanta's Taste of the Nation event has raised more
than $5 million, benefiting such local groups as the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Genesis Shelter
and Project Open Hand. Karatassos is still integrally involved in the event.
"I'm not sure what we would do without the support of Pano and Buckhead Life Restaurants, or
for that matter what Atlanta would do," said Bill Bolling, founder and executive director of the
Atlanta Community Food Bank. "For years, Pano has committed his name, organization and reputation
to help hungry families and children live better lives. He has a giving spirit and deep conviction
in helping those most in need."
Often credited with bringing a new level of sophistication to Atlanta dining, Karatassos is
known for his innovation, attention to detail and steadfast commitment to customer service. These
are the same qualities he has applied to his charity work. For a man who always knew he would
follow his father into the food business, he would have made his dad proud.
