ONE OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN AND COLORFUL MEMBERS OF ATLANTA’S BRITISH COMMUNITY, REGINALD P. MITCHELL, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF REGGIE’S PUB IN THE CNN CENTER, WILL RECEIVE A MEMBER OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE) AWARD IN WASHINGTON D.C. LATER THIS YEAR. THE AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED BY JOHN KERR, THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S., AT A STILL TO BE DETERMINED DATE.
ACCORDING TO THE BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL ATLANTA, MR. MITCHELL WILL RECEIVE THE AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERESTS OF THE BRITISH/AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN ATLANTA AND TO BRITISH BUSINESS INTERESTS IN THE UNITED STATES, MORE GENERALLY.
MR. MITCHELL ARRIVED IN GEORGIA IN 1947 STILL WEARING HIS BRITISH MILITARY UNIFORM AND BEARING A HANDLE BAR MUSTACHE AFTER HE WAS DECOMMISSIONED FROM BURMA (UNION OF MYANMAR) AND INDIA TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (UGA) WHERE HE HAD BEEN ACCEPTED TO STUDY ADVERTISING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING.
HE TOLD GLOBALFAX THAT HE RECEIVED HIS ACCEPTANCE LETTER FROM DEAN JOHN E. DREWRY OF UGA’S SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM IN A TENT IN CENTRAL BURMA AFTER APPLYING SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER TO HALF A DOZEN U.S. UNIVERSITIES THROUGH THE U.S. EMBASSY IN RANGOON (YANGON).
AFTER COMPLETING HIS STUDIES HE SPENT SEVERAL YEARS WORKING AROUND NORTH AMERICA AS A FREELANCE WRITER, ACTOR, LUMBERJACK, RANCH HAND, CONSTRUCTION WORKER AND ENCYCLOPEDIA SALESMAN.
HE RETURNED TO ENGLAND WHERE HE MARRIED HIS WIFE, PATSY, WORKED IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLICITY, AND SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH MENSWEAR GUILD. WHILE IN ENGLAND, HE ALSO WAS A CONSULTANT FOR OMNI INTERNATIONAL, THE COMPANY THAT BUILT THE CNN CENTER.
IN 1973, HE RETURNED TO ATLANTA TO OPEN A BRITISH PUB. REGGIE’S IS NOW FAMOUS FOR ITS AUTHENTIC BRITISH FOOD, INCLUDING BANGERS AND MASH, FISH AND CHIPS AND SHEPHERD’S PIE. THE RESTAURANT HOLDS SPECIAL FESTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE EVENTS IN BRITISH HISTORY, SUCH AS THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, THE END OF WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE AND THE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK GRAND LOSER’S PARTY ON JULY 4TH.
MR. MITCHELL IS A FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH-AMERICA BUSINESS GROUP (BABG), THE SUCCESSOR TO THE BRITISH BUSINESS GROUP, CREATED IN 1978 WHEN HE SUGGESTED TO THEN-BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL DAVID CRAWFORD THAT ATLANTA’S GROWING BRITISH BUSINESS COMMUNITY COULD USE A FORUM.
AT THIS TIME, HE IS PRESIDENT OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION OF GEORGIA, VICE-CHAIR OF REGION V OF THE E-SU OF THE U.S., AND BELONGS TO THE E-SU NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE. HE SERVES ON THE MARKETING COMMITTEE OF THE BRITISH OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION AND HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN FUND RAISING FOR THE TRAINING OF BRITISH ATHLETES.
HE MAY BE REACHED BY CALLING REGGIE’S AT (404) 525-1437; FAX (404) 525-2745.
BY BRIANA PEHLMAN