After 45 years of ownership, Tom Murphy of Murphy’s Restaurant in Virginia-Highland is selling the neighborhood eatery to its current executive chef Matt McCarthy and his father, Gregg, in January.
The McCarthy and Murphy families have been in each other’s lives for years. Gregg McCarthy worked as the executive chef from 2005-2009 where he created customer favorites like the Guinness-braised brisket, which remains on the menu.
His friendship with Tom Murphy and even Murphy’s father persisted long past the time he worked at the restaurant, and they stayed in touch when Gregg moved to Florida.
Credit: Courtesy of Matt McCarthy
Credit: Courtesy of Matt McCarthy
Gregg’s son, Matt, grew up in the kitchens where his father worked. While becoming a chef was not initially in Matt’s plans, he found a passion for the career just like his dad. After working in restaurants around New York City and Washington, D.C., he returned to Atlanta and took over as executive chef at Murphy’s in June 2023, nearly 15 years after his father.
Gregg said it had always been a dream of his to own a restaurant with his son. Five years ago, it didn’t look like that would come to fruition. But their hopes reignited when Murphy began considering what would come next for his restaurant.
“As you look at building a business and evolving your business, you grow it, and it comes to a point where the evolution is about strategy,” Murphy said. “So it was a strategic decision to find someone who would have long-term stewardship that was committed to honoring Murphy’s legacy while guiding the restaurant into the next era.”
This isn’t a retirement for Murphy. He said he wanted an opportunity to pursue new interests and to become more involved with the community.
Murphy began talking to the McCarthys about purchasing the restaurant two and a half years ago when Matt McCarthy took over as executive chef. They wanted to let him get an understanding of the restaurant and to see if he would enjoy running it.
Credit: Courtesy of Matt McCarthy
Credit: Courtesy of Matt McCarthy
Since the younger McCarthy took over, the restaurant has continued to evolve and constantly improve, Murphy said, even reaching a new pinnacle of popularity. The Matt McCarthy has kept the menu relevant and seasonal with monthly changes, and he’s has cultivated relationships with local farms.
“I think he was able to see where he could take it,” Murphy said.
This will be Matt and Gregg’s first time truly working together. Matt said his dad has served as a mentor for him over the years where he could call him after service and break down the new challenges he was facing.
“I know how he operates, I know how he thinks, but I want to do it with him,” Matt McCarthy said. “When this came around, I mean, not only is it an awesome opportunity for us professionally, but on a somewhat sentimental level, this is kind of fulfilling a dream of ours that we’ve always had.”
Come Jan. 5 when the restaurant’s ownership officially changes, Matt will continue as executive chef, working with his team and developing the menu, while his dad, who’s moving back to Atlanta, will take on more of an operating manager role, like “the command center,” Matt McCarthy said.
Between the two of them, Matt has a more current view of food, Gregg said, while he’s able to throw “a little bit of old school into (Matt’s) new way of thinking.”
The McCarthys said they aren’t planning any big pivots with the restaurant. They want to make sure the staff and guests feel comfortable and that they honor what Murphy has built.
“Tom has built such a legacy, and the restaurant is successful, and we just want to carry that on for the time being,” Gregg McCarthy said. “Why mess with it? It’s such a great institution.”
That sentiment is exactly why Murphy knew the McCarthys were the right people for the job.
There’s no question that Murphy, along with his children and grandchildren, will still dine at the restaurant -- “The food of Murphy’s is part of our life,” he said.
Credit: Courtesy of Murphy's Restaurant
Credit: Courtesy of Murphy's Restaurant
“I am humbled by the Atlanta community and patronage that they have supported Murphy’s, and it’s been so symbiotic to be able to do what you love and to be rewarded in doing that,” Murphy said.
Murphy will be at the restaurant daily through their New Year’s Eve celebration to greet and thank his customers for the decades of support since he opened the restaurant in 1980.
Starting in January, the task of preserving Murphy’s legacy will fall to the father and son pair who are working alongside each other for the first time, after years of mentorship and cooking.
“To be able to bring (Murphy’s) forward into its next era, I mean, it’s incredibly honorable and exciting,” Matt McCarthy said.
997 Virginia Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-872-0904, murphysatlanta.com
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