Chef Matt Cohen, owner of The New South Café, was honored with the Small Business Chamber’s New & Emerging Small Business of the Year award on Tuesday at the annual SBC luncheon held at the Marriot in downtown Savannah.
The New South Café was selected for this prestigious award largely due to their outstanding growth, rapid popularity, and extensive charitable work since opening in 2006. Cohen raised over $12,000 in direct donations in 2007 through his Cooking for Charity fundraisers benefiting many local non-profit organizations, while also donating his time and talent for charity at many non-profit events around town, contributing over $30,000 through all of his charitable efforts.
The New South Café is honored to receive this award today,” Cohen says. “We have been so blessed by the overwhelming support of our community that we feel one of our main priorities here is to give some back. We believe that diversity of culture and diversity in our overall environment are necessities for survival in today’s economy, and we at The New South Café have tried to embody that in all that we do.”
Cohen feels that the common ground we all share as human beings is the desire for success and growth in life and he wants to share that by allowing everyone to be a part—his guests, vendors, staff, and community.
The New South Café is an innovative restaurant at the forefront of redefining classical southern cuisine. The first restaurant in town to fuse the concepts of traditional southern fare and gourmet cuisine, The New South Café has contributed an unmatched style and flair to the Savannah community all its own and has become a landmark for locals and tourists alike. Unique and edgy recipes which add a gourmet spin to traditional southern fare, local organic produce & seafood, and the freshest ingredients possible, make up the high quality product served at The New South Café. Since opening their doors two years ago, Cohen has prided himself in breaking the stigma commonly placed on southern style food
A fifth generation Savannah native, Cohen always dreamed of opening his own restaurant in historic Savannah. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, one of the top rated culinary schools in the world, and an award-winning culinary expert who has worked in big name restaurants throughout New York and Atlanta. Cohen returned to Savannah in 2000 establishing a highly successful catering business, Professional Chef Services. He launched The New South Café in 2006, mak ing his long time dream a reality.
A great deal of buzz about Chef Matt and The New South Cafe immediately followed and local television networks began frequently featuring Cohen and his Executive Chef Scott Gordon on their cooking shows. Due to the great success of his restaurant and his amazing culinary skills, Cohen has become a local celebrity and is currently entertaining several offers to do cooking shows on national television.
The New South Café is open Tuesday through Saturday, serving lunch from 11 am to 3 pm and dinner from 5 pm to 10 pm. The New South Express Café, a new addition to the restaurant, offers a separate menu and allows the guest to dine in and get out in about thirty minutes for just $10. The New South Café offers upscale catering services available in-flight, for corporate events, conventions, executive lunches, private parties, weddings, receptions and bar mitzvahs. For more information visit www.thenewsouthcafe.com or call 912-233-7558.