Meet Our Team

 As chef and co-owner of Marlow’s Tavern, the Woodall and Spinning Room, John Metz is thrilling residents in the Southeast with cuisine that inspires. Trained by the best, John earned his degree at the Culinary Institute of America. He began his long-standing career at some of the finest restaurants in New York such as The 21 Club, Tribeca Grill, Park Avenue Café, Montrachet and Restaurant Daniel.

VP of Marketing and Administrative Officer

Kaffee is responsible for marketing strategy for Marlow’s Taverns, the Woodall and Sterling Culinary Management.  She manages corporate branding and communications to ensure brand integrity and growth. Also develops and implements all marketing communications including advertising, social media, on-line/web media, broadcast, public relations, and sponsorships. As well as directs PR, media and advertising agency partnerships. 

Kaffee has 30 plus years of marketing and advertising experience, which includes time on both the agency and client sides of the business. Before joining Sterling Hospitality, she consulted for such notable companies as AGCO, GE, Applebee’s, and Georgia Natural Gas.

Director of Culinary and Purchasing

As both culinary and purchasing director, Ben Krawiecki relishes his role in creating new menu items for Marlow’s Tavern and Sterling Culinary Management. Since joining the team in 2008, he has been a key ingredient in recipe development for the diverse combination of classic dishes that grace the modern tavern and café menus. After careful product selection and multiple taste tests, the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)-trained chef personally prepares the recipes, determining the perfect presentation and training the kitchen teams on how to deliver them with consistency and excellence. 

Ben is also well versed in kitchens design from show kitchens, small footprint to large industrial kitchens to feed the masses. He works directly with manufactures on equipment specifications and to find just the right thing for our clients. He also brings great value to engineering previously designed kitchens 

His passion for proper preparation was ignited as a young boy watching his Latvian-born grandmother cook. Memorable work-study and externship programs followed at popular Atlanta restaurants like Violette, Brooklyn Café and Canoe, and after graduating from the CIA, Krawiecki recognized he also needed to understand the business side of culinary arts. While earning a degree in restaurant management from Florida International University, he became part of the opening team of Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida, rising through the ranks to become executive chef of the facility’s Hollywood Prime steak restaurant. When Atlanta ultimately called him back home, Krawiecki took on the role of chef at the River Room Restaurant & Tavern before helping to open Luckie Food Lounge. 

Krawiecki enjoys cooking his favorite Passover meal with his Jewish mother and dining out and cooking with his two young, adventurous daughters.