Spreading the love with community dinners

“Good food, good drinks, great people.”

This is how Mike and Shyretha Sheats described the premise behind the first Plate Sale on Aug. 8, 2016. They advertised the dinner on Instagram and hoped to draw a modest crowd of 50 people to East Atlanta’s Octopus Bar. When the doors opened, 50 people were already waiting. And they kept coming. By the end of service, dinner, drinks and music you could eat (and dance) to had been served to 125 people.

The Sheatses, who work at Staplehouse, have hosted three more dinners throughout Atlanta since that Monday evening last summer; including a family-style throwdown at B’s Cracklin’ Barbecue with longtime friend Bryan Furman. The dinners were inspired by their childhood memories of communal cookouts or plate sales that served as fundraisers for members of their community in Athens.

Mike, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu who has worked at Muss & Turner’s and McCrady’s in Charleston, says the Plate Sale affords him the opportunity to play with ingredients and explore ideas. He admits he has to get creative with his dishes as the menus are often at the mercy of the host kitchen’s facilities. For the October Sale at the creative co-op Elevator Factory, Mike cooked the entire service on a burner and yakitori grill. With two simple heating elements, he created dishes like baby celeriac charred over coals.

Shyretha’s marketing degree and work as a bartender have her performing the roles of both general manager and beverage director. When she’s not setting up ticket sales, handling PR or hosting, she’s partnering the Plate Sale with local breweries like Creature Comforts, attending wine tastings or collaborating on cocktails with fellow Staplehouse bartender Ben Richardson.

While the Sheatses admit the positive response they’ve received is exciting, they’re reluctant to grow the Plate Sale too fast. With it still advertised only on Instagram, the couple is enjoying the underground vibe of the series and the like-minded Atlantans who gather for dinner, drinks and music you can eat (and dance) to on a Monday night.

Upcoming dates: Sweet Auburn Curb Market May 22, the Old Pal in Athens June 12. Follow @theplatesale or instagram.com/theplatesale on Instagram for updates and tickets.