Bob Amick Founder and Managing Partner: Concentrics Restaurants and Concentrics Hospitality Solutions

Amick has a long record of success as a restaurateur. His award-winning ONE. midtown kitchen opened in 2002 and received local and national accolades for its simplistic and uncomplicated approach to food, wine and service. TWO. urban licks, Amick and company's sequel, set the town on fire with wood-roasted meats and fish and a funky, urban edge. piebar, the third innovative concept gave pizza pie a new meaning with gourmet pizza pies and micro plates for sharing.   Set in the round, the "modern ruins" of piebar have all of Atlanta doing a 360 to catch a glimpse of Midtown's newest food fantasy. Lobby is as innovative as Amick's other restaurants with detailed attention given to style, atmosphere and cuisine, guaranteeing another Atlanta favorite.

In 1974, Amick launched his career with the Peasant Restaurants, creator of the casual white table cloth concepts like City Grill and Dailey's.   In the 80's Amick created Mick's Restaurants, named for his father, to appeal to a more casual segment of the industry.   After growing the Peasant and Mick's companies to over 42 restaurants nationally, developing and promoting each individual concept to be the most highly acclaimed restaurants at the time, Amick and his partner sold to Quantum in 1989.   Amick stayed on as CEO, taking the company public under Morton's Restaurant Group and later doing a secondary offering.   After selling his remaining interests, his first solo venture was the highly acclaimed Killer Creek, which opened in 1998.   Amick sold Killer Creek in 2001, and started the development of Concentrics Restaurants a series of high-profile, chef-driven dining experiences in the burgeoning area of Midtown Atlanta; thus emerged ONE, TWO and piebar. Amick currently has two new ventures under construction in the new Hines Tower at Peachtree Street and 14 th Street. Trois, a modern French brasserie, the third addition to the ONE, TWO phenomena, and Tap, Atlanta's first gastro pub are under construction (opening mid-summer 2006).

In addition to his restaurants, Amick launched Concentrics Hospitality Solutions in 2002, a full-service restaurant concept development and management company, creating strategic alliances with regional partners.   Current clients include Jim Borders, CEO of the Novare Group developers of the TWELVE Hotel and Residences, Murphy's Restaurant of Atlanta, and CEO and Chairman of the Board of NASCAR, Brian France.

Concentrics first project with Novare was recently opened Lobby, a new modern American restaurant at Atlantic Station in the first TWELVE Hotel.   A second project is currently under construction in Atlanta (slated for August 2007, with sites in Charlotte and Phoenix in 2008).   Amick will develop the Restaurant concept for these Novare Group projects.   Luma on Park opened in September 2005 in Winter Park, Florida, outside of Orlando.   Central Florida's most highly acclaimed restaurant is a partnership between Amick and Brian France, Chairman and CEO of NASCAR.

Amick has been married to wife Rowina for 31 years, and they have three children.   Rowina owns Flora, a floral design company, and she has a significant influence on the design and décor of Amick's concepts.

Mary Reynolds Partner

Mary Reynolds, partner in Concentrics Hospitality Solutions, has more than eighteen years of experience in training, human resources, operations, public relations and marketing.   Reynolds has developed and implemented local, regional and national business strategies for all clients including new store openings, public relations, company launches, management development programs, community affairs, crisis control, media training, integrated internal and external marketing plans.

Reynolds launched The Reynolds Group Inc., a boutique full-service public relations and marketing firm in 1999.   Prior to this, Reynolds served as Vice President of Equity Group Investments, LLC, the apex of financier Sam Zell's private multi-billion dollar pyramid of business holdings. Prior to Equity, Reynolds served as a Vice President of Dave & Buster's, Inc., a publicly held company.   In these positions, Reynolds served on the top executive teams and executed national and international business growth strategies to include diversity initiatives, training and development programs, national marketing and public relations programs and also served as company spokesperson.   Reynolds served as Vice President of Training and Development for Atlanta-based Peasant Restaurants, Inc., directing their national expansion from seven to forty-two restaurants.   In addition, Reynolds served as Director of Training and Development for the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and a Joint Venture Partner with Carrabba's Italian Grill, a division of Outback Steakhouse, Inc.   Reynolds is a member of the Les Dames d'Escoffier, American Institute of Wine and Food and The James Beard Foundation.   She also serves as a mentor on the Women's Food Service Forum Roundtable and a past board member of the Georgia Restaurant Association, a chairperson for Flavors, an event for the American Liver Foundation, and a committee chair for Share Our Strength.

Todd Rushing Partner

With eighteen years of experience in the restaurant industry, Todd Rushing has successfully partnered with Bob Amick multiple times to present food lovers from all over creative restaurants worth celebrating.   ONE. midtown kitchen, TWO. urban licks,   piebar and the Concentrics ventures of Murphy's, LUMA on Park and Lobby at TWELVE have all been hailed for their novel wine programs that feature Rushing's determination, experience and vast knowledge of food and wine.   His innovative approach continues to leave a mark on the industry.

Since teaming with Amick, Rushing's wine programs have received numerous awards and critical recognition. Publications such as Wine Spectator , Wine Enthusiast , Wine & Sprits , The Wine Report , Bon Appetit , Gourmet , Conde Nast Traveler , National Geographic Traveler , Restaurant Business , The Atlanta Journal Constitution , Atlanta Business Chronicle and Jezebel Magazine have all featured Todd's wine programs.  

Rushing's first culinary adventure was the Atlanta powerhouse Peasant Restaurant Group. He was then promoted to opening general manager, during which time he held the distinction of being the company's youngest general manager. After his stint as general manager, he progressed to a regional manager position, which he held until moving to the Copeland Restaurants in 1996. Todd left Copeland's to join Bob Amick on the Killer Creek endeavor, and the two have proven to be a dynamic team, one that continues to prove its success in Amick's individual restaurants as well as Concentrics.

Rushing graduated with a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Southern Methodist University in 1987.   He has been married to wife Laurie for 14 years, and they have three children - Heather, 13, Shane, 11, and Colette, 9.