Developer Turns Cookbook Author with Sales Benefiting Homelessness

Marc Pollack spent the pandemic documenting the meals he cooked with fresh ingredients from his wife Robin’s garden. Since quarantine prevented him from hosting his favorite dinner parties, he planned to share the recipes with friends. What started as a passion project turned into an actual book, and on Friday, December 11, one of the city’s most prolific developers will release “Chez Marc’s Quarantine Cookbook,” a tasty compilation of the three daily meals he cooked throughout the pandemic with proceeds benefitting the Gateway Center, providing support services and stable housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Over the past four years, Pollack has pivoted from being a driving force in the residential components of some of the city’s most notable developments, including Atlantic Station, Lindbergh City Center and The Battery, to focusing on homelessness and affordable housing.  He co-founded the Atlanta Affordable Housing Fund this past January to address the city’s staggering divide. Before the pandemic, nearly 3,200 people experienced homelessness in Metro Atlanta. Due to job losses and mental health problems spurred by the pandemic, those numbers are accelerating daily.  

Intending for 2020 to mark a year of impacting change, instead, he found himself sheltering in place. So, he turned to his lifelong love of cooking. “Chez Marc’s Quarantine Cookbook,” combines Pollack’s culinary gusto with his bent for advocacy. “When I'm not working, you can always find me in the kitchen,” said Pollack. “I hope this book inspires people to give back to the community and hopefully make the world a better place.”

Pollack’s enthusiasm for social service began in high school, and he went on to pursue a career as a special education teacher. Realizing he couldn’t support a family on a teacher’s salary, he embarked on a more lucrative livelihood in real estate investment. He was president of Lane Company, and later took the helm of his own firm Pollack Partners, now known as RangeWater Real Estate.

“I’m thankful that we have a roof over our head that allowed us to make the most of quarantine, and I hope we can all do a bit to make the world a better place for all of those who are less fortunate,” said Pollack.

For more information on how to purchase “Chez Marc’s Quarantine Cookbook” and support Gateway Center, visit: https://marrofoundation.org.