Jerk lamb chops, shrimp and grits, and French toast share a menu at Elevation Kitchen & Cocktails in Conyers, Georgia, but behind the kitchen doors, co-owner Shane Corrodus says the price of that lamb can swing wildly from one week to the next. Corrodus, the restaurant's founder and co-owner, says the business has experienced rapidly rising meat prices, and rather than pass those increases straight on to customers, Elevation has chosen to absorb many of them.
Elevation is located in Conyers, according to CBS News, and it sits specifically at 1180 Stigman Rd. NE, per a listing from The Atlanta Voice. Corrodus told CBS News Atlanta that running the restaurant comes with challenges beyond the usual grind of hospitality, pointing to inflation, war, and tariffs as forces squeezing his bottom line. He said lamb prices specifically can rise to one and a half times or even double their current amount within a single week, a volatility that makes menu planning a moving target.
A Jamaican-Born Chef's Vision on the Plate
The food itself comes from co-owner and chef Neville Walker, who is originally from Jamaica and incorporates Jamaican cuisine into his dishes, according to the station's report. Diners can find that influence alongside Southern staples: French toast, shrimp and grits, and jerk lamb chops all share space on Elevation's menu. The Atlanta Voice's listing adds more detail on the broader lineup, naming seared jerk lamb chops, chicken and waffles, escovitch snapper, and steak and cheese eggrolls as popular items.
Walker said he enjoys cooking for people and takes pride in seeing them enjoy the food, per the same account from CBS News Atlanta. Corrodus echoed that sentiment in his own words, saying he enjoys seeing customers happy and eating. The restaurant serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, and the Atlanta Voice reports that brunch specifically runs every day from noon to 4 p.m.
Regulars Keep Coming Back
Deloris Freshley, a customer quoted in the CBS News Atlanta piece, said she returned to Elevation for a second and then a third visit because of the conversation, drinks, service, and food. That kind of repeat business matters for a restaurant navigating unpredictable costs on items like lamb, since keeping loyal diners coming back helps offset the squeeze from suppliers. Beyond the main menu, the restaurant's own website lists a menu available late night only, according to Elevation Kitchen & Cocktails.
The Atlanta Voice also describes recurring events at the spot, including Wine Down Wednesdays featuring live music and poetry and a Ladies Night on Thursdays, as reported in a separate piece from The Atlanta Voice. Corrodus has bigger ambitions than a single Conyers address, too. He told the outlet he envisions expanding Elevation to 10 to 15 locations on the low end, or as many as 25 to 50 on the high end, within the next five years.
Rising Costs Beyond One Restaurant's Kitchen
Elevation's cost pressures echo broader trends tracked at the federal level, though the available data doesn't speak directly to this restaurant's own numbers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the overall food index rose 0.5 percent in October after being unchanged in September, according to a Consumer Price Index news release. Separately, the USDA Economic Research Service notes that updated lamb production, trade, and price forecasts are tracked in its Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook reports, with the agency's latest written update on the lamb and sheep market published in August 2026.
For now, Corrodus and Walker are focused on what happens inside their own dining room rather than national price charts. Between the jerk lamb chops, the Wednesday night poetry, and a steady stream of returning customers like Freshley, the Conyers restaurant is betting that absorbing the occasional price spike is worth keeping diners fed and coming back for more.
