In Atlanta, growing a local business and strengthening a neighborhood

JPMorganChase client was told in advance that they would be featured in advertising.

For Reggie Washington, a celebrated Atlanta-area restaurateur, business growth came at a high price. His restaurants won critical acclaim, but behind the scenes he was stretching himself too thin. He wanted to scale up, but lacked the resources and support to do so.

He turned for advice to his bankers at the local Chase branch, just a block away from his flagship restaurant, Southern National, in the Summerhill neighborhood of Atlanta.

Branch manager Kevin Brown included Southern National on his list of recommendations when out-of-town visitors asked for dining suggestions. He also helped bring visibility to the business by suggesting Washington as a guest chef at events with the bank’s numerous community partners, including the local NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks.

For some time, Brown had been encouraging Washington to participate in the Chase for Business Coaching for Impact^® program. It would help him take the next step, Brown said; it was worth making time for it in his incredibly busy schedule.

Washington made the decision to take part in the program.

Across Greater Atlanta, JPMorganChase serves more than 160,000 small business customers, like Reggie Washington, providing them with mentorship, resources, and capital. Since 2021, the firm has provided more than $185 billion in credit and capital to Georgia businesses across industries, helping them grow and thrive and improving access to financial education programs.

A small business takes off

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Washington excelled in culinary school, going straight from graduation to working as the Executive Chef for the state’s governor. After two years, he moved to Atlanta, where he met his business partner, Chef Duane Nutter. He and his partner were the creative force behind One Flew South. In 2014 and 2015, the restaurant at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, became the first and only airport restaurant ever to receive two James Beard Award nominations.

In 2017, Washington returned to Mobile and opened a new restaurant, Southern National. But after the pandemic, which took a heavy toll on the restaurant business, he decided to relocate the restaurant to Atlanta—his “real home city,” as he says. While searching for a suitable space, he was drawn to the Summerhill neighborhood in 2023—in part because of JPMorganChase’s presence in it: The bank’s local branch was just down the block. Washington envisioned opening a restaurant that would convey a spirit of community, harmony, and true Southern hospitality.

The challenge of scaling

Southern National quickly became an essential Atlanta restaurant, serving not only the local community but also prominent visitors from out of town—from corporate firms to Hollywood directors to airline executives to prominent music artists. Washington subsequently opened a second Southern National, a market and a fast-casual pizza restaurant at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

But as the businesses grew, Washington found himself taking on too many responsibilities at once. He was relying on instinct, personal resources, and persistence, rather than on financial planning and he was doing it alone. “It requires a team, structure, systems, and the right partners to help turn vision into sustainable growth.”

It was then that Kevin Brown, recognizing that Washington was poised to take the next step, suggested he join JPMorganChase’s entrepreneurship program, Chase for Business Coaching for Impact.

Addressing business challenges together

Chase for Business Coaching for Impact® was launched in 2020 in five U.S. cities to support rising entrepreneurs. “Our whole purpose,” says Xamayliz Gonzalez, a JPMorganChase Vice President and Senior Business Consultant, “is to take businesses from where they are to where they deserve to be.”

At the program’s outset, participants analyze their business’s strengths, weaknesses, external opportunities, and threats. They meet weekly or bi-weekly with a JPMorganChase consultant like Gonzalez for about an hour. The curriculum is built around five pillars: access to capital, cash flow, business development, operations management, and building a team of trusted advisors.

Brown told Washington that “through the Coaching for Impact program, you gain a deeper understanding of cash flow management and learn how to make informed decisions around team investment, owner compensation, and sustainable business growth.”

After meeting with Gonzalez several times, Washington’s excitement about the program grew. “It’s one thing for someone to be really good and talented at something,” says Brown. “It’s something totally different to be able to run the day-to-day of the business, and that’s where most small business owners fail.”

Going back to school

Washington was introduced to a wealth manager, got advice on business lending, and was encouraged to think more strategically about growth. He was also given access to a JPMorganChase industry report projecting the next seven years of market conditions. “The program isn’t just about monetary capital,” says Gonzalez. “It’s about social and intellectual capital.”

At Gonzalez’s urging, Washington—who had previously spent most of his time dealing with the daily challenges of his business—began thinking long-term. “What’s your exit strategy?” he asked himself. “How are you going to build this up so you can grow your business to multiple locations, then sell it and retire so you can lay out at the beach?”

The program’s overriding lesson for him, Washington says, was to “plant the seed of how do you scale? And the first thing you do is get talent to help you do that.” At Gonzalez’s suggestion, he hired a fractional CFO—a concept he hadn’t heard of before—and finally began delegating some of his responsibilities. “Having a CFO is a game-changer,” he says. “It prepares me for the big picture: ‘Let’s model your airport business, your street-side business, see how strong you are, where the weak links are.’ They’re going to say, ‘You know what, there’s no way you’re going to be able to make that but let me show you how we can.’”

The ripple effect: How the community benefits

The benefits of the Coaching for Impact program extend well beyond the walls of Washington’s restaurant. The neighborhood is seeing extensive revitalization, thanks to an influx of traffic to thriving businesses like Southern National and the support of the local Chase branch. Inspired by the program, Washington is playing a part not just as a local entrepreneur, but also as a mentor and advisor. Two Summerhill companies, a branding firm and a caterer, check in regularly with business questions. “Early in my career, I had limited access to mentors within the hospitality business space, and one of the things that this JPMorganChase program does is bring people together to share our journeys.”

He is also mentoring and advising his own employees, aiming to set them on the path to financial success and wellness. This spring, in collaboration with the Chase Summerhill branch, he organized a financial education program for 20 Southern National employees, along with workers at eight other local small businesses. Restaurant workers “budget their jobs from shift to shift,” he says, but he wants to encourage them to learn to think longer-term—just as he has. “People don’t understand the impact of budgeting, being prepared,” he says. “They don’t realize they can start generating some credit, get a company credit line. They can start their own business.”

His newest project called Southern National Market, located in the Old Fourth Ward Atlanta neighborhood is being developed as a healthy-forward, Southern inspired all-day market offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and grab-and go options. The key question he asked himself was himself, he says, is: “I’m not simply looking for a loan. I was looking for access to capital and the resources needed to help grow and scale the business”. Thanks to the Coaching for Impact program, he has the answer, he says: “I’ve never had a financial institution reach this far out to provide support.”

For informational/educational purposes only: The views expressed herein, do not reflect the official policy or position of (or endorsement by) JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates. Views and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any individual. [**Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates do not warrant its completeness or accuracy.] You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results.

Participation in the Chase for Business Coaching for Impact® program is subject to availability. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions as a result of this program and consult the appropriate professional(s).

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