The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Goodrich a ‘titan of the restaurant industry’
For Nancy Goodrich, the success of Southern Bistro didn’t rest just with its food, but in going above and beyond to meet guests’ expectations.
“No was not in her vocabulary,” said chef turned restaurant consultant Ron Eyester. “We would be working service, and she would want to do something for a guest that might be next to impossible.”
Goodrich, the longtime face of Southern Bistro, died Aug. 13 after a short battle with cancer. She was 64.
Nancy Kathryn Jackson was born on Sept. 17, 1956. A Georgia native who attended high school in Gainesville, she is most remembered for her devotion to Nancy G’s Cafe and Bistro (later renamed Southern Bistro), the Sandy Springs restaurant she founded 16 years ago.
“The restaurant was her world,” said Southern Bistro partner Justin Keith. “She was there almost every day. She’d work six days if she had to for the sake of the business.”
“She was committed to making every guest as happy as they possibly could be,” said Eyester, who worked with Goodrich in the early 2000s when she was a server at Food 101 (now Crab 404) on Roswell Road, and again in 2016, when Goodrich brought Eyester on board at Nancy G’s after personal circumstances forced him to shutter his three Morningside dining concepts.
Keith admired Goodrich’s ability to handle delicate customer situations with grace and professionalism. “After Nancy would talk with them, the guests were fine.
She really connected with the guests.”
Numerous of Goodrich’s relationships — including her 27-year marriage to husband Colman Goodrich — were initially formed through her work in the hospitality industry. The couple were introduced by one of Colman Goodrich’s co-workers at Houston’s on Peachtree when she worked at a Longhorn Steakhouse location. Colman Goodrich recalled his work friend telling him, “‘I have a chick at Longhorn you need to meet.’ We started dating, and it was off to the races.”
The couple did not have children but “the kitchen and waitstaff were kind of like her kids,” Keith said. “If anybody had problems, she’d try to help them out, figure out a solution.”
Problem-solving was second nature to Goodrich, who kept the restaurant afloat through many rocky periods. “Nancy possessed a drive and desire that not many people have to succeed,” said her husband, who recalled her determination to weather the economic impact of COVID-19. “When the pandemic hit, she said, ‘I’ve been through worse.’ She pivoted and sold everything. We sold toilet paper, paper towels, soap, you name it. We had a general store, did to-go. She said, ‘I’m not going to let the pandemic get in my way.’”
She voiced similar sentiments in a May 2020 interview with The Atlanta Journal-constitution: “It’s just another hurdle for me,” Goodrich said. “In the restaurant business, you never know what’s going to happen from day to day. Every day … the challenges are there. They are always going to be there.”
“Nancy is the original female titan of the restaurant industry,” Eyester said. “She may well be Atlanta’s female unsung hero.”
Goodrich was also a strong supporter of local police and fire departments along with numerous charitable causes. “I have a legacy to uphold now — and some very big shoes to fill,” said her husband, who will continue to operate Southern Bistro in partnership with Keith.
Goodrich is survived by her husband, sisters Sherry Hart and Maggie Virgil, and brother Tom Jackson.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 25 at the Sandy Springs Heritage Auditorium, 6110 Blue Stone Road in Sandy Springs. In lieu of flowers, donations and condolences may be offered to Longleaf Hospice, 2310 Parklake Drive, Atlanta, GA 30345. Arrangements are being handled by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770451-4999.