Chef Kevin Gillespie Explains Meaning of "Gunshow" Eatery Name

GLENWOOD PARK — When celebrity Chef Kevin Gillespie announced his planned departure from Woodfire Grill last year to open an eatery here, residents were ecstatic.

After all, Gillespie is a Top Chef alum and widely celebrated in the culinary arts world with multiple nominations  for the James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award and a nomination for Food & Wine's “The People’s Best New Chef."

And he's a resident of neighboring Ormewood Park to boot.

So fans are looking forward to the eatery, which has a planned spring opening in the retail space at the corner of Garrett Street and Bill Kennedy Way.

What has people scratching their heads, though, is the choice of name for the restaurant: Gunshow.

The Atlanta native explained the meaning behind the name last week at the February meeting of the South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development.

SAND is a community association that includes Glenwood Park, Ormewood Park and Benteen Park, among other neighborhoods.

Gillespie went before SAND for approval on a beer and wine service, which he received.

He explained that as a kid, his parents worked seven days a week to support him and his sister.

On the rare days that his dad would have a day off, it would usually be on a Sunday.

Even so, the family didn't have the money for extravagant activities so he and his dad went to gun shows.

"The restaurant is named after my father," Gillespie said, noting that both parents instilled work ethic of dedication in their children.

"They taught me that despite the circumstances we may have, that if my sister and I worked hard in life and committed to being successful, we could be that."