Paul Luna (born c. 1966) [1] is a Dominican-American chef, restaurateur, author, and political activist. In Atlanta during the 1990s he opened and operated a number of successful restaurants featuring European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine, including Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna, and Loca Luna. In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market, in downtown Atlanta. [1]
Luna was born circa 1966 [1] in the Dominican Republic, to middle-class parents. [2] He was one of 13 siblings. [2] He is of Italian and Spanish heritage. [3]
Luna moved to Atlanta in 1992 and opened Bice, a Milan-based, upscale Italian restaurant chain. [2] [4]
In 1993 he opened his first proprietary restaurant, Luna Sí, on Peachtree Road. [5] He introduced new types of European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine, and tapas, to Atlanta, [1] through his restaurants Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna (opened in 1997), [6] and Loca Luna (opened in 1999). [7]
He was a controversial figure on the Atlanta restaurant scene in the 1990s, often critical of local trendiness and faddish tastes. [8] He was widely known as a "bad boy" who ruled his dining room impetuously, sometimes staging impromptu striptease dances to amuse and shock patrons. [4]
Luna left Atlanta in late 2002, and worked as a chef in Canada, [9] Washington, D.C., [10] [11] [12] Hawaii, [13] [14] and California. [15]
He returned to Atlanta in 2009, and opened Lunacy Black Market. [2]
In 2009, Luna wrote and published a bilingual children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesita un Milagro! [15] [16]
Luna advocated small businesses run by mixed-income, multi-national owners as the way to rejuvenate Atlanta's historic downtown area. "We're still segregated," he said; "All my white customers think, downtown: black. Period." [1]
Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii [13] [14] gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program. [17]
In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market, [1] a low-cost restaurant in downtown Atlanta. [18] He worked with BryAnn Chen, executive director of Refugee Women's Network, to identify appropriate candidates for employment in this restaurant. [1] It closed in 2014, a year after Luna moved to Switzerland. [19]
Beginning in 2010, Luna declared for a few years that he would run for mayor of Atlanta. [1] [20] [21]
Luna is married to Cynthia T. Luna. [22] After she moved to Switzerland, Luna moved there as well in 2013 to be with her. [23]
Paul Luna (born c. 1966) [1] is a Dominican-American chef, restaurateur, author, and political activist. In Atlanta during the 1990s he opened and operated a number of successful restaurants featuring European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine, including Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna, and Loca Luna. In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market, in downtown Atlanta. [1]
Luna was born circa 1966 [1] in the Dominican Republic, to middle-class parents. [2] He was one of 13 siblings. [2] He is of Italian and Spanish heritage. [3]
Luna moved to Atlanta in 1992 and opened Bice, a Milan-based, upscale Italian restaurant chain. [2] [4]
In 1993 he opened his first proprietary restaurant, Luna Sí, on Peachtree Road. [5] He introduced new types of European, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine, and tapas, to Atlanta, [1] through his restaurants Luna Sí, Eclipse di Luna (opened in 1997), [6] and Loca Luna (opened in 1999). [7]
He was a controversial figure on the Atlanta restaurant scene in the 1990s, often critical of local trendiness and faddish tastes. [8] He was widely known as a "bad boy" who ruled his dining room impetuously, sometimes staging impromptu striptease dances to amuse and shock patrons. [4]
Luna left Atlanta in late 2002, and worked as a chef in Canada, [9] Washington, D.C., [10] [11] [12] Hawaii, [13] [14] and California. [15]
He returned to Atlanta in 2009, and opened Lunacy Black Market. [2]
In 2009, Luna wrote and published a bilingual children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesita un Milagro! [15] [16]
Luna advocated small businesses run by mixed-income, multi-national owners as the way to rejuvenate Atlanta's historic downtown area. "We're still segregated," he said; "All my white customers think, downtown: black. Period." [1]
Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii [13] [14] gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program. [17]
In 2009 he opened a training kitchen for refugee women, Lunacy Black Market, [1] a low-cost restaurant in downtown Atlanta. [18] He worked with BryAnn Chen, executive director of Refugee Women's Network, to identify appropriate candidates for employment in this restaurant. [1] It closed in 2014, a year after Luna moved to Switzerland. [19]
Beginning in 2010, Luna declared for a few years that he would run for mayor of Atlanta. [1] [20] [21]
Luna is married to Cynthia T. Luna. [22] After she moved to Switzerland, Luna moved there as well in 2013 to be with her. [23]