ATLANTA (APRIL 2022) – The Kimpton Overland Atlanta, along with its two restaurants, APRON and The Rooftop at the Overland, are pleased to announce Drew Kirkland as its new executive chef.
Originally from Tampa, FL, Chef Drew Kirkland’s love of cooking started at a young age. After working in kitchens for most of his young adult life, he attended the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach to hone his skills before heading to West Palm Beach’s PGA National Resort & Spa in 2001. In 2003, he moved to Atlanta to continue his career, and became a sauté cook at Rathbun’s under well-known Atlanta Chef & Restauranteur Kevin Rathbun. Kirkland continued to work under Rathbun for five years, moving up to become Chef de Cuisine for three of Rathbun’s restaurants, Rathbun’s, Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak. In 2020, Kirkland helmed the kitchen at the newly opened Epicurean Atlanta, an Autograph Collection Hotel. Here, Kirkland was known to deliver an immersive culinary experience inside Epicurean’s flagship restaurant, Reverence.
In 2022, Kirkland joined the Kimpton Overland to become executive chef, where he now oversees daily operations and menu ideation for APRON and The Rooftop. The Southern-inspired menus are a nod to his roots, and he hopes to continue to bring seasonal, simple ingredients to guests and locals alike.
When Kirkland is not in the kitchen, he can be found playing darts, seeking new and exciting restaurants, or watching the Atlanta Braves.
