This week on The Hot Spot, we are featuring one of our valued customers. So we sat down with John Metz, the Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Marlow’s Tavern to talk about his fantastic restaurants.

Thanks for joining us, John. So tell us, how and when was Marlow’s Tavern first started?

We wanted to create a great neighborhood place where we could go to enjoy friends, family, excellent food, great adult beverages and a warm environment. We wanted to re-invent the tavern segment: take the best of the older classic taverns and modernize it.  We opened our first Marlow’s Tavern in November 2004.

How is the menu chosen?

We have assembled a small and well-balanced menu, which is changed every season on both the food and the adult beverage side.  We take great R&D trips around Atlanta, around the country and around the world.  We want to bring unique ingredients and flavors to the neighborhoods we serve.  We combine those ingredients with core elements and ingredients on the menu to make it approachable for our guests.

That sounds delicious! So, what is your favorite thing about Marlow’s?

I really like the fact that the menu is small enough to execute at a very consistent and high level, but that we have a broad appeal with many unique ingredients that you would not traditionally see in a tavern or casual restaurant.

How do you choose your live entertainment?

We have music in every tavern – some taverns one day a week and some taverns five or seven days a week. It just depends on the neighborhood.  Our General Managers coordinate all of our music selections with support from our market/operating partners.

What is the best way to stay up-to-date on what’s happening at Marlow’s?

We try very hard to keep our website and Facebook pages up to date, but it is hard in this fast moving world we live in. We supplement with a great quarterly newsletter and email notices with events, features and fun at the taverns every couple of weeks. To really stay on top of everything at Marlow’s and get some good deals too, sign up to be an Insider on our website.

Why does Marlow’s use Gas South?

We have been partners with Gas South for many years in all of our businesses, not just Marlow’s.  I think our cultures, level of service and hospitality align, and we like to support our friends and partners who like to support us.  It is very much a two-way collaboration and we need Gas South as much as Gas South needs Marlow’s.

Does Marlow’s have any specials coming up that you would like our readers to know about?

Yes, we are bringing NOLA to ATL with our annual “Bayou ‘n Bourbon” menu full of cuisine from the Deep South. Starting today through Monday, March 25, all Atlanta-area tavern locations are featuring the menu full of jazzed up dishes and classic cocktails that will take diners taste buds on a trip to the Big Easy. Check out our Facebook page for more info.

That’s great, John. We really appreciate your time. So readers, be sure to check out Marlow’s at any of their metro Atlanta locations and tell us, what’s your favorite item on the Marlow’s Tavern menu?

**Update: This offer has been extended through APRIL 30th, 2013. So, sign up for paperless billing soon!**

Now through April 30th, Gas South customers can receive a $10 bill credit when they sign up for paperless billing for the first time.  It’s a great way to end the clutter and hassle of paper billing and receive a simple email notification of your bill statement.

Paperless Billing at Gas South

The first option is to receive email notification to view your bill online. Signing up is easy with Gas South’s Online Account Services- all you need is a valid email address, social security number on the account and your Gas South account number to sign up. The email notification will include your Gas South account number, amount due and the due date for your upcoming bill.  This makes it easy for you to pay your bill using whatever method you prefer.

Paperless Billing at Your Bank

The second paperless billing option is to receive your bill through your bank.  There is a difference between simply paying your bill through the bank bill pay and receiving your bill through the bank.  Most banks offer the option to receive bills as an additional service in their online bill pay.  Check with your bank to sign up for this option.  With this service, you should receive an email from your bank each month when your Gas South bill is available.

Regardless of how you receive your bill, you can always view it through your online account and pay it using whatever method you’d prefer.

If you have never done paperless billing with Gas South, then I’d encourage you to sign up for one of these options soon and get your $10 bill credit!   For more details, visit gas-south.com.

At Gas South, we’re committed to providing our customers with the very best service. We’re different than most natural gas providers because our commitment goes beyond what you pay for your natural gas. We will always provide you with great everyday low rates, local discounts and perks to save you money. Plus, we’re committed to supporting and giving back to the communities that we serve. We call it Hometown Value and we believe our customers expect and deserve it.

Have you caught a glimpse of our new commercial that communicates this commitment? Take a look at the video below and tell us what you think. I love the dot in our commercial!  Any ideas as to what we should name it?

In our last quarterly newsletter, I invited our customers to send in suggestions to our Facebook page, on Twitter and through email to help us improve our customer service. The top three ideas would each be awarded $100 of natural gas for free. We received lots of great entries and we thank all of you that participated in this contest. I’m very pleased to announce that, after much deliberation, we have chosen our three winners!

Congratulations to Vera Clark, Jo-Ellen Catto and Brian Genter on their excellent suggestions!

- Vera suggested we offer the opportunity to donate to those in need through our monthly bills.

- Jo-Ellen would like us to extend more offers and promotions to areas outside Metro Atlanta.

- Brian wants to see more energy saving tips in our customer communications.

We will be taking their ideas and putting them into action over the next few months so keep an eye out! So what’s your favorite suggestion?  Let us know in the comments!

Do you enjoy attending Broadway shows around the Metro-Atlanta area? If so, make sure you check out our series at the Cobb Performing Arts Centre this fall. We’re proud to once again sponsor an excellent line up of shows during the Gas South Broadway Series! The season begins in October with all the ‘Razzle Dazzle” of Chicago, the holidays bring a twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with the gang filled streets of New York City in the 1950’s in West Side Story and the series ends in the springtime taking audiences back to the 1960’s in Las Vegas for Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show.

As a Gas South customer, you can enter our new contest to win a season subscription to this series. Enter here by September 15^th, 2012 for the chance at 4 orchestra tickets, 1 parking pass, drink tickets and a $25 dining card for each show.

You can also buy discounted tickets through our website and save $30 on a season’s subscription.

So, which show are you looking forward to the most?  Let us know in the comments section below!