GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – Valentine’s Day is next week, and if you’re making plans, a popular Germantown restaurant might be the perfect place.
Southern Social just made OpenTable’s list of 100 most romantic restaurants in the nation.
It’s part of the restaurant boom in Germantown, where not long ago, people complained about a lack of dining choices. Back in 2012, Germantown Alderman Forrest Owens says the city developed a strategic economic development strategy and asked residents what they wanted to see in their backyards. Seven years later and the city is finally seeing its plan put into fruition.
“We survey our residents, our customers as you will, and we follow up with what’s important to them and then we put our budget dollars towards those areas that are important to them,” said Forrest Owens, Germantown Alderman, Position 4. “When you have that sort of live, work, play environment it really creates sort of a vibrancy within the development, and I think we’re seeing that with Thornwood, you’ve got that multi-family residential component.”
Within Thornwood, restaurants like Moondance and Kohesian have given the city a more upscale feel. A recent rating by OpenTable makes Southern Social one of the best, romantic restaurants to dine at, in the nation.
“We prepare for about 5 and a half to 6 hours everyday just before we unlock the doors at dinner time, we know that our guests have high expectations of the restaurant,” said Joe Fain, Managing Partner with Southern Social. “We feel like anyone can offer service so that’s why we focus on hospitality, it’s not how you fill a glass of water, it’s how you place that glass if water It’s not how you carry a plate of food out to a table, it’s the way you present that plate of food.”
According to Cameron Ross, Germantown’s Director of Economic and Community Development Services, the city has seen $500 million in investments in key commercial areas. The occupancy rate for commercial spaces is at 95% and for residents like Martha Morris, that’s music to her ears.
“For a long time, we felt like there were no really nice restaurants here in Germantown, so happy to see this place overflowing,” Morris explained. “Has just been such a great gift to the city of Germantown, because now we don’t have to drive downtown.”
Southern Social is open 7 days a week, Sundays are brunch only. Its sister restaurant, “Flight,” also made OpenTable’s top 100 list of romantic restaurants.