Our Story
Thousands of years ago, the people of the Georgian Republic brought their poetic spirit to the dinner table, and the Supra was born. Ever since then, the Caucasus mountains have resounded with laughter, song, and heartfelt tales of valor. Amidst a turbulent region with frequent invasions and external pressures, Georgians have always remembered who they really are, at the table together.
The Supra has transformed the Georgians into true masters of hospitality. In the 1990s, a former Peace Corps volunteer named John Heers traveled to Georgia to help them rebuild, after a catastrophic civil war.
To welcome him, the poverty-stricken Georgians loaded a generous table with food and wine. More importantly, they offered him toasts that got to the heart of his humanity and made him feel at home, in a foreign land.
The seed was planted: John brought the Supra home to America, and two of his proteges, Daniel and David, created Supra Dinner Society.
But enough about our story. Please join a table and tell us yours.
Our Team
Daniel Padrnos
Founder of Supra Dinner Society, Daniel is dedicated to bringing the ancient Georgian feast to America.
He played an integral role in creating the first restaurant in America that offered Supras, Keipi Restaurant in Greenville, SC.
He has led numerous pilgrimages to Georgia, sitting in on the ancient feast with men and women who have opened up the heart of the Supra to him.
He has studied and written extensively on the Supra.
His favorite toast is to journeys and destinations.
David Mericos Rhodes
Poet, pilgrim, friend, and co-founder of Supra Dinner Society – David has traveled to the ends of the earth to bring back the Supra. He has drank the blessed wine with holy men on the mountain. He has herded lambs to pasture. He has charted the eagle’s path, and he has watched the snake sheds its skin.
He has trained in the art of the Tamada with Georgian elders, and he now offers the Supra to the souls of America seeking solace.
His favorite toast is to the heroes that pour themselves out, so that their communities thrive.
John Heers
John Heers is the Tamada who brought the Supra to America. He is the founder of First Things Foundation and host of the YouTube show Heavy Things Lightly.
He opened Keipi Restaurant in Greenville, SC (a non-profit restaurant specializing in Georgian cuisine and culture).
His favorite toast is to eros, the power of romantic love.
Maybe You?
We’ll be rolling out a Tamada training program soon. We aim to train Tamadas all throughout the nation who can serve the Supra to the starving and seeking.
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