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Our People

Without people, restaurants are simply four walls. It’s the people that make Local Three one of the best Atlanta restaurants: guests, those we work with, and our vendors. There are many places where you can trade money for food. That’s not what we do. We’re in the business of providing people with a unique experience when they dine at Local Three. It’s our people that make Local Three what it is.

The Local Three

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Chris Hall

Chris Hall is clearly the most rakishly handsome and debonair of the three Unsukay Partners.

His story begins right around the corner from Local Three at the Pizza Hut on Collier Road, where he worked as a teenager. Somehow, the magic smell of pepperoni and yeast lured him in and 30+ years later he is still at it. Either that, or he is just too dense to figure anything else out…. So he threw some pizzas and moved up the proverbial ladder, eventually landing, while in college, at Philadelphia’s famed Lec Bec Fin where he was begrudgingly taught to cook by an angry Frenchman and his minions. It was a kitchen ripe with talent (and he was too dumb to be scared), so he set off to learning and taught himself how to cook. Some folks, including a few dining critics, claim he never learned to cook, but undaunted, he still kept trying.

Hall eventually headed home to Atlanta in search of bourbon and a Southern Belle. He found both and is still in love with both to this day. He landed at Canoe on his return and cut his teeth with Gary Mennie, George McKerrow, Ron San Martin and the gang by the river. It was an amazing time at an incredible restaurant and the most formative of his cooking years; but he always knew he wanted his own place, and if nothing else, to cook what he wanted, however he wanted, whenever he wanted. So after meeting Turner and Muss, a fast friendship formed and they began talking about a partnership. It was a long winding road to eventually get there, but the seed for Local Three was born. Years later, they opened Local Three to a swell of critical and guest acclaim and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hall still cooks (not enough for his liking…) but his main role is the partner in charge of the day-to-day operations of Unsukay. What’s on the menu, who is cooking and serving it, how we’re buying it, along with a multitude of other things. In all honesty, he is just trying to figure it all out. His true passion these days is to help people in much the same way people helped him in his career. He loves to coach and mentor and is still entranced by the machinations of the restaurant business.

Hall participates actively in a number of charities and is a founder and former Vice Chairman of The Giving Kitchen. In 2015, Chris, Ryan and Todd were named Cornerstone Humanitarians by the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation for their role in kick starting the Giving Kitchen. In 2019, the Giving Kitchen became the second organization to receive the prestigious James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award. 

He out-kicked his coverage by a long way and has been married to his wife Julie since 2000 (as well as her roller derby alter ego, Polly Atomic, since 2010). They live in Smyrna and when he is not in the restaurants, he is golfing, crashing around the woods, shooting at things, and generally acting the fool. CH loves all kinds of football, round and oblong, and is an avid fan of Rugby ATL as well as being a fractional owner of the team. He never misses an Atlanta United or Arsenal match and will gladly regale you with the delights of gegenpressing and juego de posicion. He likes Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair, The Dude, Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday, Omar Little, a great bottle of wine, a fine cigar, brown whiskey, piña coladas and getting caught in the rain…… But most of all, he is incredibly grateful for the staff, guests, and friends, old and new, who keep the company going.

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Ryan Turner

Turner was the food and beverage manager at East Lake Golf Club prior to opening Muss & Turner’s in February of 2005.

He was the 2015 Board Chair of the Georgia Restaurant Association. He and his partners were recognized by the GRA as Restaurateurs of the Year in 2011.

In 2014, Turner was named the Business Person of the Year by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Turner is a founder and has served on the board of the Giving Kitchen since 2013.

In 2015, the Unsukay partners were awarded the National Restaurant Association’s Cornerstone Humanitarian Award for their role in founding the Giving Kitchen.

The Giving Kitchen was named the James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of The Year in 2019. 

Originally from Maine, he graduated from the University of Vermont in 1994 and did a term of service with Americorps in Arizona along the border of Mexico. He carpetbagged his way to Atlanta in 1995, looking for a Georgia Peach, a job and year-round golfing weather (in that order). He ultimately found all three and now lives in Smyrna with his wife, Shelley, and two children.

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Todd Mussman

Todd Mussman, or “Muss,” as he’s known, is a CIA-trained chef who worked with Fifth Group Restaurants before opening Muss & Turner’s in 2005. 

You might meet someone as knowledgeable about food, but we seriously doubt you’ll ever meet anyone as passionate. From foraging wild edibles, to hunting deer, turkey and quail or breaking down whole hogs and turning them into delectable delights, Todd can do it ALL in the kitchen. His deep knowledge and passion for food are one of his strongest assets. 

You’ll know he is originally from Boston as soon as he opens his mouth. Muss is married and lives in Smyrna with his wife, two kids and dog. In his spare time, he loves to spend time on his hunting lease as well as studying, cooking and refining his craft. Todd’s passion for food is not left at work. Muss is a founding board member of the Giving Kitchen and takes an active role every year in executing TEAM HIDI auction lots: whether leading canoe trips in the Okefenokee or executing dinners on Georgia’s barrier islands to raise money for restaurant workers in crises.  

Keep in touch with Todd:

Our Team

  • Andrea Dascanio
    Andrea Dascanio General Manager

    Andrea (also known as Dre) is forever a Yankee, even though she moved to Atlanta in 2006. She started as a bus girl in high school and has yet to leave the industry. When she first moved to Atlanta, she worked at night clubs throughout the city. Once that became too much, she found a home at Local Three as a server, and over the last 10 years has steadily taken on more responsibility. She has a wealth of institutional knowledge that is invaluable in leading the Local Three team. You’ll usually find Dre doubling as the human intercom system. It’s not that she’s loud – people just have “sensitive hearing.” She’s known for being super organized and clean to an extreme. When she’s not at work, Dre can be found taking care of her adorable son, listening to old school hip hop (she controversially states that New York makes the best) and R&B, hanging out with friends, or reading by the pool.

  • Nicholas Dixon Waldorf
    Nicholas Dixon Waldorf Manager

    As a man of many talents, Nick has worked in various jobs, including a stint making concrete baby heads at a warehouse in Lakewood and as an extra in the film “A Bad Mom’s Christmas.” Since joining Local Three in 2012, Nick has served, catered and done just about any task needed, making him the perfect fit to be a manager. When not working as Local Three’s go-to guy, Nick listens to a Spotify playlist that sounds like it was created by 1,000 different people while collecting and selling baseball cards or playing Ingress Prime.

  • Josh Doepke
    Josh Doepke Manager

    A native of Greensboro, NC, Josh Doepke started his journey in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher. When he moved to Atlanta, he worked as a line cook at Emeril’s before making the move to the front of the house as a server at Atlanta Fish Market. During his time in management at Sauced, Rathbun’s and Reverence at Epicurean Atlanta, Josh learned how to develop a team and tailor training to each individual. His eye for detail and willingness to dive in made him a perfect fit for Operations Manager at Local Three. As wild as restaurants can be, Josh’s strangest job was when he was paid to hug hammered redneck women at Charlotte Motor Speedway during race days while dressed as the Pink Panther. When he isn’t working, Josh loves gaming on his PS5 and daydreaming about owning a 1964 Lincoln Continental. His bucket list also includes riding a motorcycle all the way through Argentina. 

  • Jonathan Kloepping
    Jonathan Kloepping Beverage Manager

    Jonathan Kloepping grew up in the Poconos and his curiosity about the strange and unknown led him to exploring 16th century Dutch copper mines in New Jersey as a kid. When he wasn’t off playing Indiana Jones, he loved watching The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone. His adventuresome spirit eventually led him to Charleston, where he worked at El Jefe and Malagon before making his way to Atlanta and joining the opening team at Roshambo. Translating his love of all things computers, Jonathan doubles as Local Three’s beverage manager and unofficial “tech” guy. When he’s not working, he spends time with his girlfriend and son.

  • Ryan LaFrance
    Ryan LaFrance Sous Chef

    Ryan LaFrance grew up in Massachusetts and worked at Vox Populi and Stephanie’s on Newbury in Boston after attending the International Institute of Culinary Arts. He moved to Atlanta in 2014 and joined the Atlanta Braves as the private club chef, then as the catering and suites chef at Turner Field and Truist Park. As an avid Boston sports fan, one of Ryan’s greatest memories was attending Super Bowl LIII to see the Patriots beat the Rams. He has traveled all over America and hopes to someday make it to Japan, Israel and Morocco. Ryan’s curiosity and passion for learning about science, technology, history, philosophy, travel and art make him a great team leader as sous chef at Local Three.

  • Brandon Peterson
    Brandon Peterson Sous Chef

    Brandon Peterson started his culinary journey at a young age by cooking dinners with his family. He continued his path over the next 20 years in Atlanta restaurants such as The Federal and Bones and at Tangible Taste in St. Augustine, Florida. As a leader at Local Three, Brandon enjoys teaching others about butchery, baking and European cuisine while singing Kelly Clarkson’s greatest hits. His positivity, infectious smile and love of the kitchen have made him an incredible asset to the Local Three team since September 2022. 

  • Will Parson
    Will Parson Sous Chef

    Will Parson has joined the Unsukay team as a Sous Chef at Local Three! The Detroit native has spent 20 years working in kitchens, including time at Spiaggia in Chicago, The Georgian Terrace, and most recently at Superica Buckhead and Superica at The Battery. Even after all that time around The Braves, he’s still a Tigers fan…but we’ll forgive him!

  • J’aime Abramowitz
    J’aime Abramowitz Sous Chef

    Jaime Abramowitz, a native of Huntington, NY, has loved animals since she was young. Watching old school Animal Planet and The Crocodile Hunter inspired her to study marine biology and spend time in the rain forests of Costa Rica. She also attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and completed the culinary, baking and pastry programs. An externship at the Biltmore Estate brought her to Asheville, NC for a few years. Jaime then moved back to New York where she worked at Market Bistro, Restaurant Norman and Google NYC. When COVID hit, she moved to Atlanta, joining the team at Local Three. Just like Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls, Jaime loves cute things and animals, but can go HARDCORE when need be. This drive, coupled with her attention to detail made her an amazing chef for the opening team at Roshambo and a vital member of the Local Three leadership team.

  • Brett Burke
    Brett Burke GROUP DINING & CATERING SALES

    Brett Burke grew up in the swamps of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and cut his teeth working in some of New Orleans’ finest seafood establishments. He strongly believes in laissez les bon temps rouler and loves attending concerts. While checking out new music, Brett finds inspiration for his own musical talent, which includes singing bass, playing piano and playing synthesizers. He’s even been known to jam on auxiliary percussion and drum machines too! After moving to Atlanta in 2016, he gained more experience working as an Event Captain and Restaurant Manager for Rocket Farm Restaurants. His love for events and great food led him to the Catering & Group Dining Manager position with Unsukay in 2022. When hosting friends at home, Brett loves stuffing bacon-wrapped dates with manchego cheese and roasted almonds and plating them over romesco. He dazzles his guests all the way to the end by serving up delicious hazelnut mocha cheesecake for dessert!

  • Susie Oddo
    Susie Oddo President of Unsukay

    Susie has been an integral part of what we do for the past several years. She has led Basecamp, while being an important advisor and sounding board for the partners. Previously, Susie was the President of Taco Mac, responsible for an organization of 25 restaurants and she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this role. As President of Unsukay, Susie reports to the partners and is responsible for the long and short term goals and success of Unsukay. She focuses on restaurant operations, back office support, finance, legal and strategic planning.

  • Jimmy Chio
    Jimmy Chio Director of Restaurant Operations

    After two years in Florida at the Fort Lauderdale Ritz-Carlton and directing the Miami launch of Antico Foods, long-time Atlanta resident Jimmy Chio returned to our fair city to take the reins as General Manager of Local Three. For more than a decade, Jimmy cut his teeth at some of Atlanta’s most popular dining destinations such as Twist, Shout, Strip, and Noche. Jimmy’s time running Local Three has been marked with quiet and steady leadership, growth of his managers and team, financial success, and a level of professionalism that sets the standard for the company. Jimmy’s role as Director of Restaurant Operations benefits the progress of all Unsukay restaurants.

  • Jimbo Irvin
    Jimbo Irvin Director of Culinary Operations

    Jimbo is a rare “Atlanta native.” He graduated from Westminster, right around the corner from Local Three. From there, he went on to study food science and industrial engineering at Auburn University. He then made his way to The Culinary Institute of America, where he received an associates degree in culinary arts and a bachelors degree in culinary science.

    After working in New York and San Francisco, he made his way back to the A, where he began working with a buddy who was starting Snapfinger Farm in Stockbridge. In the first year at the farm, they raised pigs and rabbits, grew almost two acres of vegetables, and started doing some catering. Catering came naturally to him, because it’s something he’s had a strong hand in since his days at Auburn.

    Jimbo has been cooking professionally for a decade now. He has a passion for barbecue, learning new things, perfecting his craft, and for educating others on technique and finesse in the kitchen.

    As far as hobbies go, he enjoys music. He’s been playing guitar for 15 years now. He’s a brother to three sisters, a welder, and a vinegar fermenter. He also enjoys good beer and PC gaming (when he has the time).