Kevin Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants announced new team members at Gunshow and Revival. Gunshow’s newest general manager, Josh Rasor, worked his way up from a server in 2013 to his role now. Geoff Morrill, former general manager of Gunshow, will now manage Revival in Decatur.
Rasor comes from a long line of ministers. Although he received a degree in religious studies from the University of Georgia, Rasor quickly realized he had no desire to be in the pulpit. Instead, he pursued a career in the restaurant industry, working his way up the ladder in large restaurant chains including Chili's and Longhorn Steakhouse. In 2007, Rasor earned a culinary arts degree at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Gillespie was on Top Chef during this time, and Rasor felt a strong connection to his cooking style and community- and family-oriented values. Following graduation, Rasor served as a banquet chef at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, and learned that he was not meant for the back of the house.
He moved back to Atlanta to work at Coast Seafood and Raw Bar in Buckhead, where he gained more front-of-house and private-event experience. In 2013, he began working as a server at Gunshow. The following year, Rasor began assisting the general manager. He learned how to communicate with the kitchen, lead the service staff and handle opening and closing duties. Rasor did not think his goal of managing Gunshow would become a reality so soon when he was offered the position in 2016.
“Getting that call from Kevin was a dream come true,” he says. Rasor feels one of his most important duties as general manager is upholding Gillespie’s initial vision for Gunshow: a community-oriented, fine-dining establishment with approachable surroundings that make any guest feel comfortable.
Morrill has been part of the Red Beard Restaurants family since Gunshow first opened in May 2013, working his way up from server to front of house/beverage manager in October 2014 and then general manager in June 2015. In January of 2016, the New Year brought with it a new role for Morrill, general manager at Gillespie’s second restaurant, Revival. As an aspiring writer, Morrill got into the restaurant industry because it afforded him the flexibility to work at night and write his novels and screenplays during the day. He first met Gillespie while working as a server at Woodfire Grill in Atlanta. Prior to spending a year and a half there, Morrill worked as a server at La Tavola Trattoria and a manager at The Iberian Pig, also in Atlanta. When Gillespie offered him the chance to manage his restaurant, it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
“I’m going back to my roots at Revival,” says Morrill of his latest role. “Since working with Kevin, I’ve really come full circle from the fine-dining service at Woodfire Grill to the bustling nature of Gunshow and now back to a more traditional dining service. Now that I’ve had that experience of breaking the mold with the unique service style at Gunshow, I've broadened my horizons about ways to best serve guests.”
In his role as general manager at Revival, Morrill coordinates the service staff, oversees the books, handles ordering, and creates fluid, food-friendly wine and beer lists to match the homey lunch and dinner menus.
