Keipi’s Supra Dinners Are a Cornerstone of Social Culture
In a world that feels so divided, there’s a place you can escape to in Greenville, South Carolina, where strangers quickly become friends regardless of their world views.
Welcome to Keipi, a restaurant that is truly like no other. The restaurant was started by the First Things Foundation, a nonprofit that brings U.S. citizens to poor parts of the world, like the Republic of Georgia and Sierra Leone, to help them understand more about these cultures and living simply. Once they are immersed in these cultures, they then help the locals make connections and spearhead projects.
Not an ‘Office Guy’
One of the incredible things that John Heers, co-founder and director of First Things Foundation, was exposed to in the Republic of Georgia was its incredible supra, or tablecloth, dinners. These dinners are traditional Georgian feasts that nurture community, connection and storytelling. They have a very specific rhythm unlike anything he’d ever seen, and they have a way of bringing people together.
Heers started hosting these dinners just for fun with family and friends. When the nonprofit started looking for office space for the First Things Foundation, he realized he wasn’t really an “office guy,” so he took a risk and opened Keipi restaurant, where supra dinners take center stage.
The restaurant isn’t just about these dinners, which mostly take place on the weekend. On any given day, a full menu of Georgian specialties and a host of traditional condiments that go with them are served. But once you see a supra dinner happening within the space, you’ll understand why it’s such a draw.
The Supra Experience
To partake in a supra dinner is to know it. At Keipi, guests are seated at a long, communal table that accommodates 15 to 25 people, give or take, who don’t necessarily know each other—and that’s part of the point.
On the menu is a five-course, family-style smattering of traditional Georgian food, such as khachapuri, a traditional Georgian cheese-filled bread; khinkali, Georgian soup dumplings filled with spiced meat and herbs; pork tenderloin; chicken thighs; and so much more. Georgian wines flow as do the cocktails, mocktails and other beverages of choice.
The magic of these meals is not just in the delicious food that’s served; it’s in the conversations that take place during the meals. The most unique aspect of the supra dinners is that they are led by a tamada, or a traditional Georgian toastmaster. The tamada is responsible for leading various toasts throughout the evening.
But these aren’t your typical toasts. They’re centered around a universal theme, like honor, love, family and friendship. The tamada begins by making a toast with a general theme; then those participating in the dinner respond with a more specific toast. It usually takes a few toasts for some of the guests to start opening up, telling stories and toasting to specific people or moments in their lives. But once they do, it tends to encourage everyone at the table to join in and share.
Although it may be a little awkward at first, Heers admitted, once people get through the first three or four toasts, they really begin to embrace the evening.
“We toast to things that are hard—not just happy days,” he said. “You toast to the highs and lows of life.”
This allows people to be vulnerable. By toasting to universal topics, he finds that even the most divisive people outside of the table can find common ground.
Dinners can sometimes last up to five or six hours, because people are enjoying the evening so much, they don’t want to leave.
Becoming a Tamada
The toastmaster isn’t part of the supra dinners to put on a show. He is there to facilitate a dialogue amongst strangers—something that’s not easy to do.
For those interested in learning how to become a tamada, “Art of the Tamada” training is held twice a year. But it’s not an easy thing to teach. The Art of the Tamada provides instruction on how to conduct the evening in a way that makes everyone feel comfortable about participating.
Regardless of whether you want to lead or attend, supra dinners offer a slice of humanity, helping us connect with new friends and reconnect with ourselves. Keipi’s supra dinners are held every Friday night or privately for groups that would like to schedule one for a different day.
