Kizzy Patel & Jesse Smith: How to Go From Working in a Pub to Owning An Historic Restaurant

Running a restaurant is hard. Running one inside a 130-year-old train depot? That’s a whole different story.In this episode, we sit down with Kizzy Patel and Jesse Smith, partners at Kimball House in Decatur, Georgia - a restaurant known for its legendary oyster program, classic cocktails, and precise hospitality. But behind the glow of vintage light fixtures and perfectly shucked oysters is the reality of stewarding a historic property, navigating preservation rules, maintaining aging infrastructure, and building a team that treats the space like home.We talk about:- What it really takes to open in a historic building- How they became owners (and eventually building owners)- Their approach to hiring for hospitality - not just service- Building a culture people want to stay in- Winning a $50,000 American Express + National Trust For Historical Preservation grant- And yes… whether the old depot is hauntedIf you’ve ever dreamed of opening a restaurant — especially in a historic space — this episode is a masterclass in vision, grit, and stewardship.Learn more... https://savingplaces.org/historicrestaurants https://soyouwanttorunarestaurant.short.gy/AMEX⭐ This show is brought to you by Back of House.io, the foodservice industry’s most trusted resource for restaurant tech.Learn more at: https://backofhouse.io/⭐ Season 5 of So You Want to Run A Restaurant is proudly sponsored by RestauRent, the no-fee booking platform helping restaurants book private and group events.Try it risk-free with 3 free months at: https://bit.ly/soyouwanttorestaurent⭐ Follow UsPodcast: https://linktr.ee/soyouwanttorunarestaurantClaudia: https://www.instagram.com/claudia.saric/Spencer: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantspenny/