Petite Violette Celebrates Fifty Years in Business This August
Petite Violette (formerly known as Petite Auberge) is turning 50 years old this August, and the Gropp brothers want to celebrate with their longtime guests as well as new community members. During the month of August, Michael and Anthony Gropp plan to host cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, a formal party, a fundraiser and discount days. In addition, they will bring back classic dishes from the past 50 years’ worth of menus.
To kick off the celebration, from Monday, August 5, through Friday August 9, when guests buy one entrée at full price, they can get one entrée of equal or lesser value for 50% off.
Also, on August 9, the restaurant will host a wine tasting and cooking demonstration, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in one of the private banquet rooms. In addition to sampling fine wine and freshly prepared food, guests will get to listen to music and mingle. The cost will be just $19.74, in honor of the year the restaurant opened.
On Friday, August 9, and Saturday, August 10, Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem at Petite Violette will premiere the new show “Hell’s Killer Kitchen”. The story features chef Gordon Slamsey and some of his famous celebrity chefs hosting a culinary competition for the ages, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Petite Violette. Shows will run Friday and Saturday nights, at 7:30 p.m., throughout the fall.
Next, Monday, August 12, through Friday, August 17, again when guests buy one entrée at full price, they can get one entrée for 50% off.
On Sunday, August 18, Petite Violette will hold a special 50th anniversary party. Partygoers will enjoy a gourmet buffet with soft drinks, live music, restaurant trivia and prizes, for only $19.74 per person (plus tax and gratuity).
In addition, on certain days throughout the month of August, Petite Violette will offer specials like a complimentary glass of champagne or wine with a dinner entrée purchase.
Classic menu favorites such as the baked Alaska will also be returning to the menu for lunch and dinner.
The celebration will conclude on Saturday, September 7, with a buffet dinner to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Cost is $40 per person, and all proceeds will go to CHOA.
For more information on these anniversary and other events, visit petitevioletterestaurant.com/events.
A Bit of History
Petite Violette was started in 1974 by Wolfgang Gropp and Helumt Bittl, under the moniker Petite Auberge, which means “little inn” in German. Wolfgang received training in the culinary arts as an apprentice and chef at some of the finest hotels and restaurants in Europe, including in Paris; at The Savoy Hotel, in London; plus at Lake Louise Inn, in Canada.
When Wolfgang trained in The Savoy Hotel in London, he apprenticed under several chefs including some who were trained by Auguste Escoffier, the father of modern French cooking. According to Wikipedia, Auguste is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and he was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine. Wolfgang’s son Anthony adds, “Auguste Escoffier took ‘chef’ from servant position to the modern respected profession it is today.”
After immigrating to the United States, Wolfgang, his wife Ilse and Ilse’s brother Helmut (serving as maître d') poured their hearts and souls into making Petite Auberge a favorite of Atlanta’s diverse population by providing a consistently superb dining experience to generations of satisfied guests. Over the years, Wolfgang passed his knowledge, experience and love for creating classical dishes down to his sons Michael and Anthony.
Anthony literally grew up at Petite Auberge, as he was two years old when his father and uncle opened the restaurant. He “helped in the kitchen” (as he remembers it, or “played in the kitchen” as his parents probably remembered it) from the time he was eight years old.
When Anthony was 14 years old, he was working at the restaurant regularly and running a station in the kitchen. It was then that he thought to himself, “Hey, I’m pretty good at this, and I can make a living doing it. It’s something I’d kind of like to do.”
When Wolfgang retired, Anthony took over the job of Head Chef. Anthony says he and his father were always very close, especially in the kitchen, while his older brother Michael, who is the restaurant general manager and co-owner, was closer to their mother, Ilse. Michael has a management degree and took over the business side of the restaurant when his uncle, Helmut Bittl, retired.
While one was in command of the front of house and one was cooking in the kitchen, the Gropp brothers found themselves at a crossroads in 2016, when their original space in Toco Hill Shopping Center was sold. The Gropps needed a new space to call home. As luck would have it, Stephanie Belcher, the owner of Violette, located right down the way on Clairmont Road, was ready to sell her space. She contacted “the boys” (as she called Michael and Anthony) and offered them a deal they couldn’t turn down. They could purchase her location, the building and everything in it, and still retain some of the staff and menu items. So Petite Auberge and Violette merged to become Petite Violette. Still family-owned-and-operated, still the city’s most beloved French cuisine, still the same top staff and servers, but a new name and new opportunities for growth.
In the eight years Petite Violette has been in its new space, it has added an entire murder mystery dinner series to its offerings. Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem at Petite Violette runs Friday and Saturday nights, in addition to the monthly Dinner and a Diva shows featuring singers from the Capitol City Opera Company and weekend live music by the Day Coy Trio and Berne Poliakoff.
So, what’s next? Anything is possible, especially when it comes to serving the community in all ways. Michael and Anthony take every opportunity to support local fundraisers and mentor local chefs from the American Culinary Federation and Le Cordon Bleu. Several students have gone on to become successful chefs at other restaurants, and one started a local food truck that Petite Violette then purchased from him. In addition, Petite Violette is an active member of the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, the German American Chamber of Commerce, and Alliance Francaise d'Atlanta (the French Alliance in Atlanta). The perfect place for a business lunch, a date night, a milestone celebration, dinner and a show, or any other event, Petite Violette will be a fixture in the community for decades to come!