BIO

"We make a great team," notes Rheda "Ray" Chikhaoui as he describes his partnership with his brother Jalil "J". The two brothers, born and raised in Lyon (France) by Tunisian parents, bring unique strengths to the table - the restaurant table, to be exact. "J has the culinary vision while I have the construction and restaurant design background, and we both love to welcome guests to our two Atlanta-area restaurants, Fina Italian Bistro and now Social to enjoy our special brand of European hospitality."

J, a certified sommelier, is a graduate of two distinctive culinary schools, in Lyon and in Oxford (England). He worked in New York for nine years for world-renowned chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Francois Payard, Charlie Palmer and Geoffrey Zakarian, and also served as the wine director of Vong, Jean Georges Vongerichten's restaurant.

Ray honed his skills in the area of restaurant design and construction by building Fina Italian Bistro, the brothers' first venture located in historic College Park, Georgia. This neighborhood favorite opened in 2004, and its success inspired the brothers to open Social, a fun and stylish restaurant, café and bar in downtown Atlanta, right off Peachtree Street on West Peachtree Place, in late 2008.

"We wanted to share our French and North African heritage in a fun and comfortable setting, and Social's playful menu gives Atlanta diners a lot of well-priced choices." according to Ray, co-designer with his brother of Social .