Amici Italian Café franchisees Jonathan (Bob) Ewing and Jon Joiner brought home the award for Restaurateur of the Year from the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) recently.  Announced during the awards ceremony, the two were lauded for beating the odds and starting their franchise during the economic downturn in 2009.

Ewing and Joiner started working at Amici as dishwashers and ascended through the ranks to cook, server, bartender and manager while they were in college.  They are now franchisees with three restaurants of their own located in Milledgeville, Lake Oconee and Macon, Ga.

“We are so proud that Bob and Jon have been recognized by the Georgia Restaurant Association for their years of service to the Georgia restaurant economy and their success as Amici franchisees,” says Chris Torino, Vice President of Brand Development and founder of Amici.  “The future is bright for Amici, and we look forward to growing our brand in the coming years with dedicated franchisees like Bob and Jon.”

Earlier this year, Amici signed a 20-unit restaurant deal with Stonemont Financial Group, a private real estate investment firm headquartered in Atlanta. Stonemont will open new Amici restaurants across North and South Carolina. Their first location just opened in Clemson, S.C.

Amici serves made-from-scratch gourmet pizzas and fresh pastas, wings, sandwiches, soups, salads, and a variety of appetizers. The popular Italian Café gained a strong student following on the campuses of the University of Georgia and Georgia College & State University.