Spring & Change Are In The Air

Dear Friends,

It has been a while since we last communicated with you and we thank you for your patience. To the many friends who have reached out to support us recently, thank you! We are now ready to share our plans for the future of Frogs Leap Public House.

First, It has been a pleasure to be part of this vibrant town, personally and professionally since 2003, we call it home now. But, Toni and I have past reached the age where we intended to reduce our hours at the restaurant and slow down a little.

Thanks to our many friends and a few dedicated staff members, we survived these past hard years and we feel very positive about the future of our town and restaurant. However, we have decided that it would be best for us if we continue our retirement process as planned.

At this time, we do not plan to open Frogs Leap Public House for our regular schedule or do a la carte dinner service this upcoming season. We plan to enjoy some personal time this summer and to advance our plans for our future. We will be open for a few special public events this summer and we are available for private events.

FLPH will be available for private events this season, we have limited staff and capabilities, so event size and options will be limited. We are currently accepting applications for private events on specific dates in May, June and July. There will be additional information coming to our website and social forums soon. We have limited availability for both onsite and offsite events. Please reach out to us at 828.456.1930 to reserve your dates or seats before we are full for the upcoming season. The restaurant is also available to rent as an event space this summer.

In addition to these plans, we are beginning to search for the right ownership group or individual to lead FLPH into the future. This unique turnkey opportunity is available for the upcoming season. We request that all inquiries are directed to:

George Escaravage and Chuck Brown at Emerson Group

P.O. Box 54

Waynesville, NC 28786

george@emersongroupus.com

828-400-0901

chuck.brown55@gmail.com

828-734-5900

Finally, we would like to announce the birth of our next venture: The Cutting Edge: Hospitality Consultants. This fledgling company will provide an array of services aimed at helping hospitality businesses navigate the many challenges of our industry: from profit and loss analysis to operational system control and creation. We specialize in driving sales through innovative recipes and presentations and creation and execution of systems which clarify and reduce obstacles to profitability. We also advise buyers and sellers of hospitality businesses and properties.

There is a new section coming to our website at frogsleappublichouse.com which will further describe the many services TCE can provide to support and enhance any hospitality related business. Please call 828.456.1945 with inquiries.

It is our hope that we quickly find the right group to open FLPH full time and support the town we love once again. We are excited to bring FLPH back to life with the right ownership team for the future. Please call 828-734-5900 for details regarding this unique and timely opportunity.

Thank You,

Toni & Kaighn Raymond

Frogs Leap Public House

828.456.1930/1945

44 Church St.

Waynesville, NC 28786

frogsleappublichouse.com

About Chef Kaighn

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Executive Chef Kaighn Raymond has over 23 years of experience with the last 8 years as owner and executive chef of Frogs Leap Public House and 13 of the previous in the Atlanta fine dining scene. Coming to Atlanta directly from the Culinary Institute of America, Kaighn had already reached sous chef level at Chatterley's, a beloved Connecticut bistro recognized by the New York Times and still flourishing today. Chef Kaighn worked his way through CIA gaining exposure to the industry in multiple capacities. Upon graduation from CIA with Dean's List Honors and a high pass on his 5th term practical Kaighn was recruited to the 5th group in Atlanta. Over the next decade Chef Kaighn developed his diverse skills as a highly celebrated Executive Chef in the Atlanta scene at several of the Atlanta's most notable establishments, including Brasserie le Coze, Alon’s, Atlantic Seafood Company, Horseradish Grill, Food 101, La Tavola, The River Room, The Vinings Inn, Pastis and The French American Brasserie. As the Executive Chef at Brasserie Le Coze, his flawless integration of creative, unpretentious cuisine coupled with inspired presentations re-elevated the reputation of the restaurant to one of the hottest in the city. During his years here Chef Kaighn fine tuned his skills under world renowned Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York City . After a long career at the top of the Atlanta fine dining scene, Chef Kaighn followed his dream to Waynesville, NC where he opened his first self owned restaurant: Frogs Leap Public House at 44 Church Street in 2012. FLPH was voted the #1 Restaurant, #1 Food and #1 Service in Western North Carolina by Open Table diners in 2018 and is in the Trip Advisor Hall Of Fame 2018.

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