The second location of a popular Atlanta Mediterranean restaurant whose opening was delayed by the coronavirus is set to debut this Friday.
Aviva by Kameel will celebrate its opening in the Collective food hall in the new Coda at Tech Square development with a socially distanced party from 6-9 p.m.
The menu for the gathering will feature falafel, chicken shawarma, hummus, salmon and rosemary chicken. The event will be held largely in the building’s outdoor plaza, with stickers affixed to the ground to encourage social distancing.
Going forward, the restaurant will offer dine-in service at picnic tables and booth areas inside the Collective, as well as contactless pickup.
Aviva by Kameel, which opened its first location in Peachtree Center in 2012, quickly gained a following due in part to owner Kameel Srouji's warm personality. Srouji often greets customers with an "I love you" and compliments. The restaurant has topped Yelp's list of most popular places to eat in metro Atlanta.
Srouji is opening the Coda location with his son, Nas, who is in charge of operations. The space, designed by architecture firm Plexus r+d, features “a juxtaposition of old and new world touches,” according to John Alburl, marketing director for Aviva and the Collective.
Look for woods, marbles and granites along with “very modern lines,” he said.
Guests will also be able to get a peek into their food being prepared in the restaurant’s open kitchen.
“(Srouji) is so proud of the way he cooks his food and how clean everything is, and you’ll be able to see everything happening in the kitchen.”
Aviva by Kameel will be the second tenant to open inside the Collective. Chef Hector Santiago's burrito stand El Burro Pollo was open for only a couple of weeks in March before being forced to close because of the pandemic. It's currently operating out of Santiago's El Super Pan stall in Ponce City Market.
Other tenants in the Collective including Poke Burri and Wildleaf are tentatively slated to open next month.
Aviva’s tentative hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
756 Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta. avivabykameel.com/
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