Tyler and Kara Kopkas grew up just outside Seattle in the suburbs of Washington state. Their paths would cross years back when Tyler was an Executive Chef for a large restaurant group while Kara worked at a neighboring Starbucks Café while in college. Close in proximity and working the same late night hours the two would eventually meet, date and dine!Professionally it was around this time that Tyler was advised to take a leap into a different role and move from back of the house (the kitchen) to the front of the house into management, moving into the role of Assistant General Manager. At the time this seemed like a big risk in his career, however it’s what has led to Tyler’s continued success over the years. Tyler is not only known for his hard work, but his love of people, and is his ability to cultivate a great team.The Kopkas duo were married back in 2009 and welcomed the birth of their son Wyatt in 2018, this past year they celebrated their 14th Wedding anniversary. Current day the Kopkas family has relocated to the Savannah area where they are excited to extend their welcome with the launch of Ardsley Station and settle into their new community where they will call Savannah their new home.
Tyler and Kara Kopkas both grew up just outside the Seattle metro area. Their paths would cross years ago when Tyler was an Executive Chef for the restaurant chain Rock Bottom and Kara worked at a neighboring Starbucks Café. Close in proximity the two would eventually meet and hit it off. It was around this time that Tyler was advised by a mentor to take a leap and a different role and move from back of the house from the kitchen to the front of the house into management, moving into the role of Assistant General Manager. This was a big risk in his career and what has led to Tylers continued success over the years. Tyler was known for his hard work, people skills but even more important is his ability to cultivate a great team. The two were married back in 2009 and welcomed the birth of their son Wyatt in 2018, this past year they celebrated their 11th Wedding anniversary. Current day the Kopkas family has relocated to the Savannah area where they are excited to extend their welcome with the launch of Ardsley Station and settle into their new community where they call Savannah their new home.
Mary retired from corporate life in 2019 and although Steve was still busy with their various NYC businesses, they both looked forward to spending more time indulging in their favorite hobbies; traveling the world, visiting far-off families, and spending more time in Savannah where the couple had purchased a home in 2015.
Visits to Mary’s hometown of Seattle always included visits with their extended family, including their niece and nephew, Kara and Tyler Kopkas. The Pacific Northwest is known for fresh seafood and delicious wines, and every visit home included checking out the local food scene as well as Tyler’s restaurants.
The four visited Paris and Epernay together in 2017 where they sampled incredible food, wine, and French champagnes. In the fall of 2019, Kara and Tyler visited Savannah, and over dinner one evening, Tyler shared his dream of running his own restaurant where he could utilize his years of industry experience and share his passion for food and community. That conversation remained with Steve and Mary as they continued to seek out new business opportunities locally.
Then the Pandemic happened. New York was experiencing the highest Covid-19 levels in the country, and Savannah quickly become the Paschalls full-time home. As many restaurants were forced to close, one local favorites’ closing broke their heart: the Atlantic. As sad as it was, Steve and Tyler felt positive about the opportunity. The decision to leave home and family in Seattle was enormous, but Tyler knew that opportunities like this don’t come along very often in life, so he and Kara jumped in with both feet. Steve and Tyler worked quickly to put together a plan. A few weeks later, Ardsley Station, the dream of a lifetime, was off and running.