We had the good fortune of connecting with Trevor Shankman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trevor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I am incredibly self-competitive, so owning and operating a business for me – regardless of the vertical – is primarily a matter of truly testing myself and seeing what I am capable of building.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m the 21 yr. old chef/founder of Maria ATL. An exclusive, underground dining experience based in the broader Atlanta metropolitan area. We serve a “secret,” multi-course, conceptual tasting menu to a small cohort of guests multiple times a month. “Maria” was the name of my late grandmother who just recently passed after losing a 2 + yr. battle with stage 4 colon cancer. Maria is a dedication to her and all that she meant to me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are far too many “stranger-mentors,” a countless number of books and a laundry list of close family-members that I can go on and on about, however, if I were to name a single individual who has been and will continue to be my biggest cheerleader, it’s my mother. Her undying support, unconditional love and encouragement are all things that would take me a lifetime to pay back.

Website: https://mariaatl.info/

Instagram: @cheftrevorshankman

Image Credits
Jordan Shankman

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