Debra Franklin Cannon is director of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality in the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. The Savannah native was the 2022 recipient of the Georgia Restaurant Association’s annual lifetime achievement award. Cannon talked with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently about her career in hospitality.
What was your earliest experience in the restaurant business?
I sort of fell into it, as I think many people do. After college, I had an opportunity to manage and co-own a small restaurant in Savannah. I jumped into that with really no experience, but I learned a tremendous amount in a short period of time, including a lot about food costs and menu design. And, it certainly created an interest in the hospitality industry.
After that, was most of your work in the hotel business?
I joined Hyatt here in Atlanta, and went through a quick management training program. But, that was very educational and useful, because what I wanted to get into was human resources.
Where did you go from there?
The Hyatt Regency Savannah was opening, so I had a chance to go back home as the director of human resources there. It was a great experience.
How did you start teaching?
I was with Hyatt for about three and a half years, then I came over to the Ritz-Carlton brand. While I was at the downtown property, as the director of human resources, I started teaching part-time in the hospitality program at Georgia State.
Is it safe to say the Ritz upped the ante for dining in Atlanta at that time?
They brought in the who’s who of chefs and restaurant concepts. Gunter Seeger was a rock star, and still is. There was tremendous respect for his talent. And, the concept of the menu changing every day, depending on what he could buy fresh, was way before we started talking farm-to-table.
What about Ritz-Carlton co-founder Horst Schulze?
He had been a senior vice president of food and beverage with Hyatt, and he was one of those top leaders that moved to Ritz-Carlton. So, that was something to take notice of. Where Horst Schulze goes, there’s going to be greatness. He was the one who inspired that. It was that very sincere passion for quality in every aspect. I learned more than I could even describe.
What led you to become a full-time educator?
After the first semester at Georgia State, I realized I really loved it. Then, I decided ... that I would also start on my Ph.D. So, I was a part-time instructor for over five years, and working on my Ph.D. at night. There was an opening for the director of human resources at the Buckhead property, and I transferred out there. Then, a faculty position came open full time at Georgia State, and I thought, this is the way to have the best of both worlds.
Could you talk about your job as director of the School of Hospitality at Georgia State?
With the faculty and staff, we work together as a team to keep the coursework up to date and innovative, addressing the industry challenges. Our industry has changed a lot since COVID, and we’ve done a lot of revisions to the curriculum, in terms of the course content.
Any thoughts on the current restaurant industry?
I think it has been extraordinarily resilient, and has shown the strength of the industry, to come back as strong as it has since COVID. I see that as a huge statement for anyone thinking about it as a career. As you look around Atlanta, you see so many exciting startups. And, I think we’re very, very fortunate to have so many women and minorities coming to town with great concepts.
So, restaurants are a vital part of our culture?
We’ve seen that people do not want to stay at home and never go out to eat. We’re social animals. Eating out is where we celebrate, and where we interact, and where we have some of our happiest moments.
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