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By elevating Southern comfort food that pushes the edge of flavor, Public House has been a cornerstone of Chattanooga’s dining scene since its inception in 2009. And as the first restaurant to be a part of the Warehouse Row catalogue, we decided to sit down with their Director of Operations, Mikayla Dreer.

Mikayla shares how the restaurant’s signature hospitality and the expansion into craft cocktails with The Social in 2011 shape every guest experience, reflecting on what it means to be a staple in the historic and ever-evolving Warehouse Row.

Q: From Bar Louie to Public House, you’ve mapped out a pretty impressive career in this industry. What drew you to this role? What keeps you in it?

I’ve been in the industry for 13 years, starting as a host at 17 and serving at 18 to put myself through school. After a year in Miami, I came back to Chattanooga in 2019, where Il Primo immediately stood out. I had fine dining experience in Miami, and this restaurant felt like something new for the area. They were fully staffed at the time, but the general manager at the time ended up calling me the same day I applied and said, “I don’t know how many shifts I can offer, but I want you on the team.”

Shortly after COVID hit, and the restaurant faced huge uncertainty. I was one of two people chosen to reopen and rebuild the team. The community poured in to support us, and over a few months we built a 14-person team, keeping everyone who wanted to work employed. Nathan, the owner, showed incredible leadership, providing food from local farmers and helping us stay employed.

I completed my master’s degree online in 2021 and I briefly worked as a recruiter but kept bartending on weekends. I didn't really know what was next for me, but I knew that I loved the industry, and I loved what I did.

Then an entry-level front of house manager position became available at Public House, and our General Manager at the time, Courtney in Ooltewah, called Nathan saying, “Take Mikayla, she's perfect for this position.” She applied for me without me even knowing. A few days later, I interviewed and was offered the service/front of house manager role. That was about three and a half years ago. In 2023, I became assistant general manager, and in June 2024, director of operations. I’ve been in this position for a little over a year now.

It's been an honor to really be able to see my career grow within this company in the last six years. Coming in as a part time server where I didn't even really have the opportunity for one or two shifts, but they gave me a chance. I just turned 30 in August, and I started with Nathan right when I was turning 23. To see how the years have progressed in my career and unfolded within his company and the amount of things I've learned of being a manager here has just really grown me in so many ways. It’s been awesome to see myself develop as a leader, to have this opportunity as a young woman to be able to help lead such an incredible restaurant has been an honor and a privilege.

Q: You’ve been working with nathan lindley, owner of public house, the social and il primo for a long time now. how have you seen the impact of his restaurants shape the chattanooga food community?

Nathan and his brother opened St. John's about 23 years ago and Public House is going on 16 years. St. John's was the pillar of fine dining and there wasn't really anything in Chattooga even remotely similar to that at the time. Nathan and his brother are trained from world renowned chefs and so they were coming to the city bringing fresh new ideas. Between Nathan owning Public House, Il Primo, and his brother, owning Second American and Alleia, those are staples in this community.

When it comes to food and beverage, service is a huge aspect of it. You can find good food in a lot of places, and you can even find good service in a lot of places, but hospitality to me is different than service. Hospitality is knowing your guests by name and really caring about why they're here—not just for good food. We've seen so many people come in and get proposed here or have celebrations of life. We get to mourn with those people who have lost a loved one or celebrate rehearsal dinners with guests. We've had people who've had their rehearsal dinner here 10 years ago who now live across the country and choose to fly back in just to have dinner with us on their anniversary to celebrate it.

It’s hearing those stories that give us purpose for what we do. And I would say that every teammate on this entire team—from hosts, food runners, servers, bartenders, back-of-house—they each care why the people are here. That's something that you can't train. It's who they are as people, and that's something that we really look for when we hire here. What does hospitality mean to you and do you have a deep care for why these people are here —not just the food, but their overall experience.

Q: Chattanooga has been gaining a lot of attention, locally and nationally, in this industry. how do public house and the social stand out? What sets them apart?

That’s again where I would come back to hospitality. There’re so many great restaurants in this city. We are a smaller city compared to New York, Miami, or Las Vegas in the food and beverage scene, but there are so many creative people here that are really pushing the edge in food and beverage. By being part of the beverage program here, that's something that I have so much fun with the creative aspect of it—seeing what the other beverage directors in the city are doing to kind of push the envelope. 

I'm privileged to work with my teammates. Like Ross Duval, one of the bartenders here, and Josh Chapman, our bar manager, who's been in the industry for 25 years. The knowledge that they each bring to the table, always pushing us to the next level. Andy Hunter is our executive chef and seeing when his wheels are turning, what he's thinking of for the next menu, just the creativity, it’s amazing.

There’re so many restaurants in this city that are doing such cool things, but when it comes down to it, I would say, the hospitality of this restaurant is what sets us apart. Whenever I go through and read our reviews, I can see that the food and the beverage always are highlighted, but the service aspect of it is what really stands out to me. That’s what builds our repeat customers. They feel at home when they're here. They have something that's comforting like our pot roast or fried chicken, but it's coming here and feeling like you're in your own family's house, having a meal at a place where people really care.

Q: Now as Director of Operations, how do you ensure each table or guest has a positive experience here, day in and day out?

It starts with hiring for innate hospitality. Our team anticipates guests’ needs, noticing details from across the room, and delivers seamless service. Whether it’s a spilled drink or a large party, everyone works together to ensure guests can relax and enjoy the experience. It’s teamwork, attention to detail, and trust that make it feel effortless.

Q: Are there any memorable moments you’ve witnessed over the years that describe these experiences your restaurant aims to uphold?

Holidays are always fun. December is full of private parties, and we get to be part of so many people’s celebrations year after year. But I’d say Mother’s Day is one of our biggest moments. It’s the only Sunday we’re open all year, and we see families who’ve been coming for 12, 13, 14 years. Daughters become mothers, and we watch families grow. We serve 400 people in four hours with a full buffet of our most popular dishes, so the operations shift, but seeing all these families together is incredible.

We’ve had pregnancy announcements, proposals, and other life milestones. Just last month, someone proposed here, and the week before, a man asked his soon-to-be father-in-law for his blessing to marry his daughter. Our guests are not just coming for food; they're coming for sharing huge parts of their lives. Having been in the industry for 13 years, I’ve had a lot of regulars, but Public House has really pushed it a step further to what we’re able to be a part of in people's lives. It really is the why of what I do every day. I love good food, I love the beverage, but where my heart is really the hospitality of it all.

Q: You are about to launch your Fall 2025 menu. What can guests expect to see on the menu? Are there any specific aspects that go into planning each seasonal menu—such as local produce, trends, customer insight?

Every menu at Public House starts with familiar, comforting dishes that we elevate with technique and quality ingredients, just like our pot roast, fried chicken, mac and cheese. Seasonal changes happen four times a year, highlighting local produce like butternut squash in fall, okra in summer. We apply the same philosophy to beverages, adjusting flavor profiles with the season.

For planning, I research trends, work with reps, develop house-made syrups, and R&D cocktails multiple times, with staff tasting and voting. Consistency is key so guests enjoy the same quality no matter who serves them.

For the new menu, a highlight is the rotating take on our Barkeep Old Fashioned featuring our upcoming Elijah Craig barrel. After a year and a half of experimentation, we hand-selected a barrel and created a unique flavor profile of house-made brown butter syrup, house-made bananas foster bitters, and spices, pairing perfectly with the 133 barrel-proof bourbon. It’s only available during the fall menu and is exclusive to Public House. It's got some spices which will really hold up to kind of a sweeter profile of the brown butter syrup and then the bananas foster bitters really make those shine. I'm excited about it, and it delivers so much as a cocktail.

Q: Public House and The Social have been staples at Warehouse Row for years. How has being inside Warehouse Row shaped the restaurants? What can we expect from this space in the future?

We were the first restaurant here and have held our ground while Warehouse Row has grown around us. We get to see so many locals come back and visit guests by being at Warehouse Row. The building itself has so much history. Our bakery used to be a Chinese takeout, the private event space room is called The Polo Room because it used to be the Polo store. People know what to expect from Public House: the blue umbrellas, the hospitality, the quality—before you even see the building, you know it’s us.

We get to connect with people visiting for business, pleasure, concerts, or conferences, and really learn why they’re here. COVID changed the dynamic—office workers weren’t walking across the street anymore, so we had to rethink how we engage guests and elevate our offerings. Now, The Social attracts people looking for expertly made cocktails, attention to detail, and exceptional service.

Q: Do you have any final thoughts?

What really stands out is how incredible this team is and how privileged I am to lead them. I was nervous starting at 26, leading career servers with decades of experience, but growing alongside them has been amazing. Each team member shines in their own way—Aaron has anywhere from five to 15 regulars who request him every shift, Shannon has an entire section who come to see her. She is one of those people where, you know you're in good hands when you're with her, and that's true about every one of the people on our team. I learn from them constantly, and being trusted as a leader by such talented people is an honor.

We've changed and we've molded, but we've always been that stable in the community for good quality, and American, southern comfort food. That's just done in a very elevated way.