PROMINENT RESTAURATEUR NAMED BARR CHAIRMAN
Bob Barr announced today that prominent Buckhead businessman and restaurateur Dante Stephensen has agreed to serve as the Fulton County Chairman for his congressional campaign.
“Dante is well-known as a man of character and integrity as well as an innovator and leader in the hospitality industry. He is one of the most successful job creators in Georgia who treats both his employees and customers with true respect. I am honored to have Dante as a leader on my campaign team,” said Barr, who served in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003 and is a candidate to return to the Congress from the 11th District which includes portions of Buckhead and Sandy Springs.
“I am excited to be a part of Bob Barr’s campaign. I have supported Bob in the past and know him to be a man who truly understands the needs of businesses in Buckhead and across Georgia. Business leaders need a champion in Congress who not only understands their needs, but has a proven record of meeting those needs; and Bob Barr is that person,” observed Stephensen.
In 1968 Dante Stephensen moved to Atlanta and created our nation’s oldest Jazz Supper Club. His club is an 18th century sailing ship tied to a quay wall and seats 300 on 13 levels in a large gym-sized building he built. See www.dantesdownthehatch.com.
The ship is rimmed by an 18,000 gallon moat with turtles and live crocodiles.
With 6 years as an Enlisted man in the Illinois National guard, and after a year of graduate school at the Univ. of Colorado, his draft board began breathing down his neck. So he applied to Navy Officer Candidate School, Newport and on the day his draft notice arrived, he received his OCS selection. While there he qualified for UDT training. 120 men began his class, graduating 11. He was Company Commander and finished tied for 2nd. In 1959 while at UDT 21, his skipper selected him and another junior officer for a mission concocted by Admiral John McCain Sr. They were to travel, as civilian terrorists to Norfolk and attempt to destroy (using briefcase atomic bombs called SADMs) the four Norfolk cryptographic centers, including the one at CincLantFltHdq. After 2 months and to the horror of Adm. McCain and his staff, the mission was a total success which led to his selection in 1961, as one of two junior Officers he put our first east coast SEAL team, Seal Team 2, into commission; commissioned Jan. 1962. He is a plank owner and was its first Operations and Training officer and created the basic training for Navy SEALs still in effect today. He has participated in missions behind the Iron Curtain, OIC to train a frogman team for Turkey, fought in Cuba, Central and South America and participated in the early period in V.N.
Back then there was no promotion program beyond LCdr. for UDT or SEAL Officers so he left the navy in 1967, staying in the reserves where he made Commander. He has served on the board of our UDT/SEAL museum in Fort Pierce, Fl. since 2004 and is active in B.E.N.S. and other military organizations.
Following the Navy:
(1) Dante became a systems analyst for a large corporation in California where he got a mouthful of computers.
(2) Then became the staff assistant to the President of a medium sized construction company in Virginia.
(3) Next helped run a small manufacturing factory in Atlanta founded by a college classmate.
(4) In 1968 he founded his own small corporation, building from scratch two Jazz clubs, Dante’s Down the Hatch in Underground Atlanta and later in Buckhead. When the Underground Atlanta Corporation closed, he became the President of its Merchant’s Association and fought to keep Underground Atlanta open. In the mid 70’s, local media dubbed him “the unpaid Mayor of Underground Atlanta”. College and graduate students, putting themselves through college and grad school make up his staff. He believes that his 13 profit-sharing and bonus plans are part of the reason his employee turnover rate is extremely low, (4.8 to 5.4 years per employee,) in an industry where employees averages only four months. In 1990, Dante’sDown the Hatch became our nation’s oldest Jazz club. In 2012, he was inducted into the Hospitality Hall of Fame.
His hobbies include working in Africa with the endangered Rhino and Cheetah, roughing it outdoors, working on his small collection of antique cars and trucks, working with another endangered species, our children, biblical archeology, living with locals in 3rd world cultures, classical music, creative writing, and trains. He owns 3 RR cars and lives on one; even travels on one, a 1926 officer car, The Survivor, which is Amtrak qualified. He is an outspoken letter writer and critic of both our media and amoral politicians (both parties). It is not unusual for him to be involved in several crusades simultaneously. In an industry where 19 out of 20 restaurants do not make it to their 5th year, and 39 out of 40 entertainment clubs do not make it to year 3, Down the Hatch celebrated its 39th birthday this year, where he is captain of his ship.
He tries to live by the following philosophy:
“The best way to judge a person is to observe how he (or she) treats those who can do nothing for him.”
His favorite SEAL quote: The only easy day was yesterday.
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