Calvert’s

By Griffin Nelson

What does it take for a restaurant to weather the storms? There’s no denying that the food and beverage industry has been affected by the pandemic. Staff is difficult to find and operational costs have risen, but high expectations remain the same for restaurants and patrons. Although the past few years have been unique, it isn’t the first time that unforeseen variables have forced businesses to be flexible.

The answer: a group of close, talented, hardworking people with an indomitable leader at the helm. When Craig Calvert graduated from high school, he never imagined being that kind of leader for one of the oldest and most well-known steak and seafood spots in the area. A native of the Midwest, he chose Michigan State University’s College of Engineering for his future. However, just a couple of summers into his studies, Calvert was asked by a friend if he could work between semesters at a country club in need of reliable help … and just like that he was hooked. Returning to MSU, he changed his major to business as he continued his degree at one of the top hospitality schools in the nation.

The first headwind hit immediately after graduation. Within weeks of moving to Macon, Ga., for his first job, the small company asked if he’d be willing to move to Augusta to manage a steakhouse called the Green Jacket. Though not one to turn down an opportunity, he reminded them he’d only been working there for 6 weeks. “The next guy in line has only been here for 2 weeks,” they said. “You’re the most experienced guy we’ve got.”

So, Calvert relocated to Augusta, a fresh-faced 22-year-old in the town he would end up calling home. The Garden City would be the place where he met Arnold Palmer for the first time. He would also meet Philip Wahl Sr., general manager of the Augusta National Golf Club, another MSU graduate whom Calvert eventually regarded as a mentor.

With Wahl’s encouragement, he decided to return to the world of golf clubs as opposed to a stand-alone restaurant. This next phase of life ended up being more of a whirlwind as the newly married Calvert and his wife moved to Traverse City, Mich., to manage a club that was in trouble financially. Calvert credits his time there as a huge catalyst for growth.

He learned how to manage well, make hard decisions and shore up weak points in a system that keeps a restaurant running smoothly. He also helped take the club from financial ruin to successfully holding a presidential dinner for Gerald Ford.

But with the itch to return to Augusta and the South, a place he’d come to love, Calvert started looking for homecoming opportunities. An opportunity arrived when The Red Lion on Walton Way went up for sale in the early ‘70s. The now experienced Calvert was ready to work alongside his business partners, one who was a roommate from the Green Jacket days, to breathe life back into the pub.

Calvert’s final career move was to start something new and entirely his own. Calvert’s Restaurant opened in 1976 in Surrey Center. It would have been impossible to know what an iconic spot it would become; how many talented chefs would walk through its kitchens; how many famous visitors would sit at its tables; and how many local Augustans would share their celebrations there for more than 45 years. Today, Calvert’s is synonymous with the heart and soul of Augusta.

Although updates have been made over time, certain things haven’t changed, such as the people who make the restaurant what it is. A great captain is nothing without a great crew. “We just have a lot of good people coming through there,” he says. “We’ve been very lucky. We’ve always had a good team.” The team has never lost focus of the heart behind the restaurant. Yes, the perfect steak and accompanying cocktail is important, but at the end of the day “our business is ‘people taking care of people’… It’s not just me. We’ve always had really good people. That’s the key: it’s the people around you.”

Calvert acknowledges that retiring is in his future, but he’s not leaving Augusta’s favorite restaurant without a plan in place. The legacy protégé is already in the works. “He does a really good job,” Calvert states. “He can cook, he can take care of front-of-house, and he’s very skilled with computers, which is so important.” Even though the winds may shift, Craig Calvert and the restaurant he’s built will hold strong.