White Tiger Gourmet sits on the corner of Hiawassee Ave. and Boulevard and has been open for almost a decade. Owner Ken Manring opened the restaurant in 2007 and it has only grown since. “My favorite part of working at White Tiger Gourmet is the people. I work with people I genuinely get along with and care about and they care about me. It’s more about a people thing. It’s about regular customers and keeping them happy over and over again,” Jesse Kennedy, friend of the restaurant said. Photo by Julie Alpaugh.
By CONNOR MCCAGE – Staff Writer
Ken Manring turned a 111-year old building into White Tiger Gourmet: a symbol for local artwork, events and most importantly, barbecue.
Tucked away on the quiet Hiawassee Ave., behind Chase Street Elementary School, a small white building illuminated by streams of lights proves you do not have to be like every other restaurant to succeed in Athens.
Ken Manring saw the potential in this 111-year-old building tucked away in Normal Town. The building had taken many transformations: The Davis House in 1905, Thrasher’s Grocery in the 1970s and in 2007, it would become White Tiger Gourmet.
“I thought it was a real cool part of town. I feel like it is a neat historic part of Athens. It is just a different kind of place,” White Tiger Gourmet owner and founder Manring said.
After graduating from the New York Culinary Institute in 2007, Manring worked on transforming the building into his own. He added seating, a kitchen, and decorated the interior with artwork from local Athens artists. The vibe of White Tiger Gourmet is as much the reason for its success as its food.
Art hanging inside of White Tiger Gourmet.
Photo by Julie Alpaugh
“I think a lot of places would be like, ‘This is not enough light,’ but this is the way it is here. The aesthetic is my jam,” Jesse Kennedy, friend of the restaurant, said. “I think a lot of barbecue places try to make it look like it’s classy. A lot of it ends up being overhyped and overpriced. The aesthetic doesn’t really match the food. I think we stand out in that we are not over advertising or pushing or food. People just try it and like it.”
In the nine years it has been open, White Tiger Gourmet has worked to build a tight knit community, both with its staff and its customers.
“My favorite part of working at White Tiger Gourmet is the people. I work with people I genuinely get along with and care about and they care about me. It’s more about a people thing. It’s about regular customers and keeping them happy over and over again,” Kennedy said.
Though the employees at White Tiger thrive on having relationships with their dedicated customers, new customers visit all the time and fall in love with the restaurant’s diverse food selection.
“I used to think it was just barbecue but I looked at the menu and said ‘never mind’. They do have options for vegetarians too,” University of Georgia student Kelsey Bohm said.
For many, White Tiger Gourmet is a culinary pillar in the Athens community and embodies the community it serves.
“I think (White Tiger Gourmet) represents Athens in a way because Athens is very do it yourself,” Kennedy said. “We serve musicians that we look up to, we have students, and we have people who live in the neighborhood. Athens is a great example of people just coexisting.”
