By Dawn Miller
Staff Writer

When I hear the words, ‘copper pot’ I instantly see an image of my grandmother’s kitchen and the
brilliant copper-bottom pots that she would use to cook with.
While this isn’t what you’ll see when you walk in the restaurant, The Copper Pot, the interior is clean,
open, warm and friendly, just as an old world country kitchen would be.
The atmosphere is inviting and friendly, reminiscent of a Mediterranean café with a twist.
Located on the square in historic Clarksville, its location is only an eight minute drive from Piedmont!
The dining area is completely open, with a great view into the kitchen from the seating area, and an
immaculate bar is also in view.
Anyone would feel comfortable there in jeans and tee shirts, shorts, or dress casual. There is something
for everyone.
With an outdoor covered patio and plenty of seating, there is room for all year round.
What about the food? One word: excellent. The food is fresh, full of flavor and made to order, according
to the owner, Jeff Morris.
Don’t think that means you have a long wait. Quite the opposite. The food and service are both quick.
The servers are friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. The prices are also affordable, though for a
college student probably for a weekly rather than daily meal.
There are appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches (Sammies on the menu!), pizzas and pastas to
choose from.
The kitchen is a “Scratch kitchen.” What this means to Morris, is that all the food is prepared in small
batches to make sure that it is fresh.
With the exception of two breads and a few condiments, all the bread, sauces, and salad dressings are
made in house.
Jeff Morris, the owner, is extremely involved in his business, from the food preparation to the interior, to
the drinks served at the bar, he has his hand in all of it to assure that his standards are being met.
Jeff Morris was raised in Sautee on a family owned farm. Both his parents enjoyed cooking and as he
got older were open-minded about allowing him to experiment in the kitchen.
“I believe that you have to make mistakes in order to learn. Without being allowed to make mistakes,
you don’t have a basis to go on,” said Morris.
After completing high school in Clarkesville, he went on to college and got a degree in human
resources, but that wasn’t what he wanted to do.
“I sat around for a couple of months living off student loans trying to figure it out,” he said.
It came back to cooking. Moving from fast food to a restaurant called ‘Cherry’ in Midtown, he moved
up with encouragement to sou chef.
Then he got his foot in the door preparing meals for the Braves, pre and postgame, afterwards moving
on to the Fox Theater kitchen.
After the company he was with was sold, he decided to bring all he’d learned home, and give back to the
community that he had a connection with.
Bringing the Atlanta chef mentality to Clarkesville, he designed the interior of an existing building to
begin his dream.
Learning to cater to the community that he was in along the way, and taking away the complicated
menu items that people couldn’t pronounce or figure out the description.
So what does that leave him with?
“Good, honest scratch food for a family community.”