Hiring isn’t just about skill.
It’s about alignment.
Do they match the standards, energy, and culture you’re trying to build?
When the frequency matches, everything gets easier.
Full conversation with Shai Lavi is live. Link in bio.
#RestaurantUnstoppable #ShaiLavi #RestaurantOperators #HospitalityLeadership #RestaurantIndustry #Leadership
Some people need structure to feel safe.
Others are willing to step into uncertainty and build anyway.
That’s often the difference between employees and entrepreneurs.
Full conversation with Shai Lavi is live. Link in bio.
#RestaurantUnstoppable #ShaiLavi #RestaurantOperators #Entrepreneurship #HospitalityLeadership #Mindset
Some restaurants serve food.
Others create a feeling.
The sounds, the chaos, the movement, the interaction… that energy becomes part of the experience.
Guests remember how a place feels.
Full conversation with Shai Lavi is live. Link in bio.
#RestaurantUnstoppable #ShaiLavi #RestaurantOperators #HospitalityLeadership #RestaurantIndustry #FoodCulture
This is where a lot of talented chefs struggle.
They master the craft… but never learn the business side.
And if ownership is the goal, both matter.
Great food alone isn’t enough.
Full conversation with Shai Lavi is live tomorrow. Link in bio.
#RestaurantUnstoppable #ShaiLavi #RestaurantOperators #ChefLife #RestaurantIndustry #Leadership
The way we cook begins long before the plate it starts in the soil, in the water, in the hands that harvest.
We follow what’s alive right now. What the farms give us, what the fishermen bring in, what the ranchers raise with care.
The menu isn’t forced it unfolds. Sometimes that same morning. Sometimes in the quiet moments before service, like cooking for family.
It’s guided by instinct, by respect, by a deep connection to the season. And I don’t shift that approach depending on who’s at the table because every guest deserves to be cared for the same way I would at home.
At its core, it’s simple.
It’s love.
It’s generosity.
It’s presence.
A reflection of what’s here, right now — and nothing more.
That’s how the menu comes to life.
They called for something elevated and we met it with intention, precision, and soul.
Grateful for the trust, the chaos, and the chance to do it all over again.
Our off-site work at the Masters hit a moment I won’t forget.
Second year building out the Malbon House, and it felt sharper, louder, more dialed in.
That last lunch… we moved like a machine.
What turned into a full-on burger line. Nonstop, and relentless. might’ve been one of the craziest services we’ve ever pushed through.
But that’s the thing for me.
It’s never just about the dish. It’s about the pace, the pressure, the people, and how far we’re willing to go in that moment.
This is what I chase as a chef.
Take something simple, respect it, then push it until it becomes something else entirely.
Malbon brought me into a world I didn’t grow up in, and somehow it felt familiar.
I’m a chef first, always. But being around it, day after day, I started to understand the quiet side of golf… the patience, the intention, the respect for the moment.
I found myself leaning into it, appreciating it, becoming a bit of an enthusiast along the way.
First year, I showed up the only way I know how… prepared, focused, trying to take care of every detail like it matters, because it does. That experience stayed with me. It’s the reason I’m here again in 2026.
For me, it’s never about just putting food on a table. It’s about creating a space where people feel something real. Where it slows down a little, where strangers become familiar, where the food carries a story but doesn’t need to shout.
That’s always been the heart of Third Space. This week, this environment, it just reinforces it.
I’m grateful to be part of it, to keep learning, to keep refining, and to keep giving in a way that feels honest to who I am.
Thank you @malbon@sephenmalbon@malbonhome
for trusting me to do it my way.
🎥: @justinsoto_
#ThirdSpace #Malbon #Grateful #Hospitality #ChefLife MastersWeek
Shout out to The Third Space and Chef Shay Lavi for being intentional about where their food comes from.
Choosing to source from local farms isn’t the easy route, but it’s the right one. It supports farmers, strengthens community, and keeps real food in circulation.
We appreciate partners who see the value in that.
Open Sunday through Friday
11 AM – 6 PM
3529 Anvil Block Rd, Ellenwood, GA
At The Third Space, dinner isn’t a reservation.
It’s a return.
A return to slowing down.
To looking up from your phone.
To remembering what food feels like when it’s made with intention and served with heart.
It’s the space between work and home.
Between “nice to meet you” and “next time, you’re sitting by me.”
Between watching a plate come together and feeling like it was made just for you.
One long table.
One open kitchen.
No curtain. No backstage.
Just fire, hands, stories, and the quiet rhythm of service unfolding in front of you.
This is where time softens.
Where farmers, fishermen, and family all have a seat at the table.
Where tradition matters, but the menu still moves with the season.
It’s less about dining out.
More about being invited in.
Some nights at The Third Space feel bigger than a dinner service.
Something better, we had the honor of hosting the team from Giving Kitchen around our table. The kind of night that reminds you what this industry is really built on.
This business runs on long hours, tired feet, hot kitchens, and people who care deeply about feeding others. But behind every plate, every shift, every late night… there’s a community holding it all together.
And sometimes, that community needs someone to hold it too.
That’s exactly what Giving Kitchen does for restaurant workers when life gets heavy.
Grateful to share a table, break bread, and spend time with people who take care of the folks who take care of everyone else.
Nights like this are what The Third Space is really about.
Home isn’t always where you sleep.
Sometimes it’s where you exhale.
At The Third Space, we built more than a dining room.
We built a table where strangers become regulars,
where farmers’ hands meet your plate,
where stories stretch longer than the wine pours.
This is the place between work and home.
Between hustle and stillness.
Between who you are and who you’re becoming.
Shoes optional. Conversations required.
Come as you are. Leave a little more nourished.
Your seat is waiting.🙏🤍
#thethirdspace #homeawayfromhome #atlantadining #chefdriven #gatheratthetable
Mahi-mahi seared and lightly brushed with lamb fat, set over a silky butternut squash and carrot purée, finished with a bright chimichurri for lift and balance.
A dish built in layers, guided by season, and handled with intention from start to finish.
Grateful this week, as always, for the farmers, purveyors, team, and guests who allow us to keep cooking with purpose and sharing our table.
