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“A Sip of Paradise Garden provides horticultural therapy, employment resources, and health and wellness programs for bartenders and the greater hospitality community to recharge their minds, bodies, and spirits.”

We envision a community of hospitality professionals that will maintain economic independence and access to sustainable food sources to help transform their wellness and improve their quality of life. 

Community - To improve the mental and physical health of members through wellness and full-bodied support.

Stability - To stabilize and empower members and their families through socio-economic growth.

Harmony - To strengthen the hospitality community through outdoor gardening and beautification for the betterment of the overall Atlanta metropolitan area.

They, along with many others in the hospitality industry, are held responsible for providing customer service, emotional support, monitoring for overconsumption, and more. The long hours, difficult customers, and high-stress environments often lead to poor mental and physical health. To make matters worse, the industry suffers from precarious employment and job insecurity, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic and has yet to recover.

“The irony is that the service industry is one in which workers are supposed to take good care of others, but they don’t necessarily take care of themselves by putting their health and wellness first.” – Colorado Access

“Bartending is often a stressful environment, and the physiological effects of stress add up over time.” – The Sustainable Restaurant Association

According to LinkedIn, “...the hospitality industry ranks among the top sectors that cause high-stress levels, and bartending is one of the most stressful jobs in the industry.”

Where do hospitality workers turn when they need someone to serve them? 

A Sip of Paradise targets its services toward bartenders and the hospitality community across the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Those working tirelessly at A Sip of Paradise envision a happier, healthier bartender community by offering therapeutic gardening activity, creative inspiration, and social enrichment in a safe space.

Since its inception in 2020, the community has grown to include people from all sectors of the hospitality industry, including a flight attendant, makeup artists, (one of which is a 2-time Emmy Award winner), a Michelin Star bartender, line cooks, housekeepers, a chef, and many other intellectuals, creatives and artists from all walks of life.

Anyone who is currently employed or has previously been employed in the hospitality industry can join A Sip of Paradise Garden’s community of members. Our programs are available for community members throughout all counties of the Georgia region.

Our garden provides many things to many people, be they physical, mental, or emotional. We know that sustainability must also include the people within a community, not just the Earth itself. That’s why we’ve blended together community gardening, employment resources, and wellness programming to best serve our unique members.

These programs include: 

Mindful Mondays: Instructors are welcomed into the garden to host weekly wellness conversations and check-ins, as well as yoga, meditation, and pilates sessions. 

Workshop Wednesdays (Employment & Resources Programming): Members get free access to weekly workshops for further career development topics like headshot tips, competition support and training, bartending techniques, and more.

Thirsty Thursdays: Garden members earn tips from their customers/partons when they bartend this weekly event (done in collaboration with the next-door farmer’s market) providing stability amidst an industry known for unpredictable scheduling. 

Horticultural Therapy: Composting, harvesting, and garden education is hosted once per month (free for members, $10 for the broader community).

Financial Emergency Support & Resources: Support provided for members experiencing financial emergencies and hardships (i.e. eviction, medical bills, rent assistance, etc.)

If this speaks to you, don’t hesitate! Become a member today.

1 garden and safe space for the community to congregate, rejuvenate, and recharge

50+ members served

100+ events hosted

500+ community members across Atlanta

2,000+ followers on Instagram

“I have been a member since 2020. And the knowledge I have gained from being a member is priceless. I was able to learn hands-on training in the garden which is important to me and my family. I have laughed, cried, and pushed my body in many ways during the yoga session and mental health events. I currently use the herbs that were grown in the garden for homemade seasons to provide a healthy lifestyle for me and my family.” — Sadiyyah Iddeen, A Sip of Paradise Garden Member

We are growing! Be a part of the budding community that’s reimagining bartending and the hospitality industry. 

A Sip of Paradise Garden, founded in January of 2020, was the brainchild of ED, Keyatta Mincey Parker. As the second runner-up of Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender and winner of the Botanical Challenge, she received a $5K award. Her parents had always told her, “You do the work because the work has to get done.” Seeing an opportunity, she and her staff used the funding to step up and seed the solution to the bartending and hospitality community’s problems.

In March 2020, as the world came to a standstill, essential workers took center stage, but those in the hospitality industry were often overlooked. Many faced not only the challenges of isolation and limited access but also the uncertainty and hardship of being furloughed.

A Sip of Paradise saw a huge boost in engagement and membership from bartenders in the metro Atlanta area—the impact and mission more important than ever before.

4 years later, our nonprofit is still going strong and those at A Sip of Paradise Garden are just as committed to the mission as before. 

Keyatta Mincey Parker

Founder & Executive Director

Rori Robinson

Director of Gardening & Development

Stephanie Saputo

Director of Communications

7 total Board Members govern A Sip, including Tiffanie Barriere (Board Chair), and Ariel E. Neal (Advisory Board Chair Bio). 

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