Buckhead Atlanta, a $600 million high-end retail and restaurant project, promises to bring glitz and fun — along with improved walkways and landscaping — to one of the city’s best-known destinations.
Three restaurants — Shake Shack, Thirteen Pies and Corso Coffee — are set to open Sept. 18, followed by Gypsy Kitchen, Le Bilboquet and Southern Gentleman in October.
Among the most anticipated arrivals, Manhattan restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack is a popular burger, hot dog and frozen custard stand, and Le Bilboquet, a perpetually popular French bistro on the Upper East Side, will offer another taste of New York City.
Closer to home, Gypsy Kitchen and Southern Gentleman, from Atlanta restaurateurs Chris Hadermann, John Piemonte and Mike Evertsen, follow in the eclectic fashion of their other Southern Proper Hospitality establishments, such as the Big Ketch, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and Smokebelly BBQ.
“It looks like we’re going to be the only local restaurants there, which we’re excited about,” Hadermann said recently. “Gypsy Kitchen is going to be a Spanish concept and Southern Gentleman is going to be a showcase for Southern culture and hospitality.”
Beyond his group’s involvement, Hadermann is enthusiastic about the Buckhead Atlanta project’s overall impact.
“We knew it had the potential to be very big and special,” he said. “The idea is to mirror a traditional city center, like New York or Chicago or Boston, with walkable streets and a variety of shops and restaurants with charm.”
Here’s a preview of the first six restaurants scheduled to open:
Shake Shack. Originally opened as a hot dog cart in Manhattan's Madison Square Park in 2004, Shake Shack has since expanded to nine international locations, including London and Dubai. The draw is fresh, high-quality ingredients in signature offerings such as the ShackBurger, Flat-Top Dogs and frozen custard concretes, plus beer and wine. The nearly 2,500-square-foot space will include a rooftop deck. shakeshack.com.
Corso Coffee. Another New York concept, Corso Coffee is an Italian-style coffee bar designed to transport the cosmopolitan ambiance of its Times Square home to Buckhead. Beyond the handcrafted, wood-roasted Anèri Tricaffè espresso and locally roasted artisanal American drip coffee, look for baked goods, breakfast staples, sandwiches and salads. ldvhospitality.com/brands/corso-coffee.
Thirteen Pies. Known as Fireside Pies in Texas, Thirteen Pies is billed as an intimate neighborhood restaurant dedicated to serving wood-fired artisan pizzas and hand-cut pasta, plus appetizers, salads, beer, wine and craft cocktails. Each Texas location is bit different in design, but the menus include the likes of the Texas Beef Sausage pie with red peppers and jalapenos. firesidepies.com.
Gypsy Kitchen. A tribute to the diverse regions and cuisine of Spain, the Gypsy Kitchen menu from Executive Chef Randy Lewis will feature shareable snacks, small plates and larger entrees for communal-style meals. Located on the second story, the nearly 6,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space is decorated with mosaic tile and Moorish elements and includes a patio and rooftop deck. facebook.com/gypsykitchenatl.
Le Bilboquet. This fashionable NYC bistro aims to bring a vibrant atmosphere and the traditional French cuisine of Jean Louis Sangar to Buckhead. The only freestanding restaurant on the property, it will be surrounded by oak trees in a courtyard and feature a grab-and-go window, open daily at 7 a.m., with freshly baked croissants, pressed coffee, sandwiches and salads. lebilboquetny.com.
Southern Gentleman. Dubbed a Southern-inspired gastropub, it will occupy 3,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor top-floor space, featuring classic décor with modern touches, including a custom marble and brass bar and herringbone wood floors. Executive Chef Randy Lewis takes a modern approach to traditional Southern-style dishes, and look for barrel-aged and bottled cocktails. facebook.com/thesoutherngentlemanatl.
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