King Barbecue will soon have a new home. The recently shuttered 'cue concept that debuted last year at Avalon in Alpharetta is moving intown, setting up shop inside Savi Provisions at 308 Pharr Road in Buckhead.
Restaurateur Shaun Doty negotiated the deal with Savi owner Paul Nair yesterday. “We have a handshake deal and are moving forward based on that,” Doty said.
Although King Barbecue will remain independent as a company, the finalized agreement will see King Barbecue pitmaster Carey Wise manning his custom-made J&R Manufacturing smoker inside the kitchen at Savi.
Patrons will order at the walk-up window in Savi’s 26-seat dining area, a space that won’t see many changes beyond signage.
However, the King Barbecue menu will undergo some trimming. Customers can look for a pared down carte of barbecue staples: a selection of five meats along with fresh, seasonal sides. King Barbecue won't offer fried sides, nor will there be salads or soups, since savvy diners can already find those at the Savi counter.
Doty hopes to open King Barbecue in time to feed a carnivorous Super Bowl crowd, which will gather around TVS and in the stands of Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz stadium Feb. 3.
When King Barbecue does have the smoker up-and-running on Pharr Road, it will operate six days a week (whether the restaurant will be closed Sundays or Mondays is still to be determined), opening for lunch and serving through dinner, or until the meat runs out.
As far as moving King Barbecue from Avalon to Buckhead, Doty ticked off what he called the positives: accessible, free parking; commercial and residential density; and minimal nearby barbecue competition.
“The neighborhood is screaming for something like this,” Wise added.
Credit: Mia Yakel
Credit: Mia Yakel
If King Barbecue catches traction at this Savi location, Doty says he could consider expanding it to other Savi locations around Atlanta. Savi currently operates six locations in Atlanta. A seventh is slated to open this year at the Battery at SunTrust Park.
The other space at the Savi Provisions on Pharr Road, the short-lived rooftop bar and restaurant Rise & Revelry, remains vacant after operations ceased there in October. Nair is currently in negotiations with a group to re-concept that dining space.
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