Avalon, the mixed-use development in Alpharetta that officially opened in October 2014 , is looking forward to welcoming three new restaurants in 2016 in the wake of its first restaurant closing last month.
Farm to Ladle, Café intermezzo and Branch and Barrel are set to open by spring 2016. Farm to Ladle was one of the first eateries to set up shop at Ponce City Market over the summer , while Café Intermezzo has three established locations in Midtown, Dunwoody and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Branch and Barrel, which will feature an upscale new Southern menu, will see chef Todd Hogan at the helm. Hogan also opened Branchwater in Cumming.
The new spots are part of Phase I of development at Avalon. Phase II involves added retail, office and living space, as well as a 65,000-square-foot conference center. A spokesperson for Avalon stated that three to five additional restaurants are expected to fill spaces in Phase II. The names of these eateries have not been announced.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Branch and Barrel is a rebrand of Bantu, a fast-casual Asian concept from Chef Ciaron Duffy that opened in October of last year and closed its doors in September. In an interview with the AJC ahead of Bantu's opening, Duffy called Avalon a "great fit" for his restaurant :
"Bantu doesn’t have a huge brand recognition yet, so we need to be placed where there is huge amounts of traffic...I think Avalon is a great place to launch a brand, because as a new company we need to have cheerleaders in our corner."
More on Avalon:
Celebrate Avalon Restaurant Week
Editor's note: This post was updated on Oct. 27 at 10:10 a.m. to the number of additional restaurants expected at Avalon in Phase II. The original post stated that eight to 10 restaurants would open during Phase II.
Read the AJC Fall Dining Guide, Atlanta Around the Clock, here .
