Access Restaurant & Lounge

Restaurant Name: Access Restaurant & Lounge

Employees: 11

Owner: Maisha Beckham

Location: Mableton, GA

Maisha is the ambitious, outspoken and determined owner of Access Restaurant and Lounge. Although she’s not new to owning a business, she’s 100% new to the restaurant scene. Before purchasing the restaurant, she managed a car dealership and worked in real estate. This is her first foray in the restaurant scene and she’s sunk over six-figures into making this business a success. 

It’s always been Maisha’s dream to own a restaurant, so with the help of an ex-romantic partner she purchased Access. Sadly, that relationship and partnership didn’t work out, so Maisha bought out her ex’s share. Although the two are cordial, it has soured Maisha on partnership and in trusting people in general. Maisha is running the business 100% on her own, and she’s become hardened by the realities of the industry. She’s still trying to figure out what it means to be a boss. At this point, she is either everyone’s best friend or the boss with the resting “B” face… the lines between the two are always blurred, creating confusion, conflict and chaos. 

One of her biggest money makers is the bar. But when her “go-to” bartenders are having too much of a good time, that could be bad for business. There’s been incidents of employees drinking on the job. In fact, if it’s a slow night, one of the bartenders will try to sell drinks to the kitchen staff! If Maisha is caught with intoxicated staff she could lose her liquor license, or even worse, be shut down. Maisha can’t recover from something like that. What makes it even more complicated is that the gal’s at the restaurant are friends outside of work. That means that during business hours they don’t take Maisha seriously, or see her as a boss. Maisha doesn’t understand how to draw the distinction so she is taken advantage of or ignored, or she has to roll over and take the insubordination from her staff. Maisha feels like she has to be suspicious of her staff stealing money or stealing alcohol from her.  

The bartenders, Autumn and Tonnette, are suspicious of “new hires” and will be cliquish, cold and territorial. They are motivated by money and do whatever they want or need to do in order to run up their bar tab. They’re competitive with one another and will fight over who will get which customer. When a newbie comes into the mix they’re forced to compete with the “mean girls” of the bar. What happens if the bartenders aren’t being fair or are bullying new hires?

Maisha has had issues finding quality hires. In fact, she was having such a hard time finding her chef that she saw a roadside BBQ joint, got out of her car, approached the owners, and now the part-time BBQ cooks are her head-chefs, Michelle and Jason. Maisha figured if they’re good enough to make roadside barbecue that they can help her run her restaurant. Jason is originally from Jamaica and is known for his jerk ribs. He gets people lining up for his ribs, but hasn’t yet had the chance to serve the ribs in the restaurant. Michelle and Maisha are so alike that they’re often butting heads. Michelle thinks that she’s being under-utilized by Maisha. She’s worked in more restaurants and has more experience than Maisha, so in her opinion she shouldn’t be relegated to the kitchen. Maisha has been burned in the past by former employees so she doesn’t fully trust Michelle to do more in the restaurant beyond cook. 

Maisha feels overwhelmed by the business and is struggling to make it profitable. At home she’s caring for her young son as well as her mother who lives with her. If this restaurant isn’t a success, that’s bad news, not just for her, but for her family who is relying on her.