At least 20 restaurants opened in the metro Atlanta area in July, though it might not have seemed like such a busy month to observers of the local dining scene. Several locally owned restaurants opened with very little fanfare beyond social media posts.
The Harvey, a sports bar in Chamblee from the team behind Southbound, kicked off the trend when it opened July 2 without an announcement. The restaurant’s Instagram page shows only one post, which announced that the Harvey would be closed July 5 “due to the overwhelming response and incredible support we’ve received since opening.” The sports bar reopened the following day, July 6.
First announced in February, Vice Steak Bar opened in mid-July with an Instagram post shared with just a few hundred followers. This new addition to the Milton dining scene took over the former Aberdeen Steakhouse space, but did not have signage installed until July 19. Despite being open for more than two weeks, the “pasture-to-plate” steakhouse still wasn’t listed on Google Maps at the end of the month.
About a year and a half after it was first announced, Confab Kitchen & Bar opened at the Parkside at Dresden development in Brookhaven. The restaurant is run by former Kaleidoscope owner Doug Gross, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Though the initial announcement was publicized in November 2023, the restaurant’s actual opening was shared only on social media.
Restaurant openings
7 Brew, the drive-thru coffee chain, continued its metro Atlanta expansion with the opening of a new unit in Mableton on Wednesday.
1312 East-West Connector, Mableton. 479-358-9274, 7brew.com
Bar Pilar, a new cocktail bar and lounge, opened in the back of Alici in Midtown on July 10, the business shared on Instagram.
931 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta. instagram.com/barpilar_atl
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Berens Frozen Custard opened in downtown Lawrenceville with a ribbon-cutting on July 26, owner Mark Berens told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
156 Crogan St., Lawrenceville. berenscustard.com
Brainwave Pizza has replaced the Glide Pizza location inside Decatur’s Inner Voice Brewing on West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Rough Draft Atlanta reported. With Glide relocating, the brewery announced the new concept on social media in June. “Since day one at Inner Voice, we always envisioned Decatur (and ourselves) enjoying one of our beers alongside a tasty slice of pizza,” Inner Voice posted on Instagram. “Well, we’re glad to announce that ain’t changing!”
308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. brainwavepizza.com
Confab Kitchen + Bar opened in Brookhaven on July 2, the restaurant announced on Instagram. The restaurant serves an American bistro-style menu featuring items like sticky duck wings, mussels and frites, a classic burger and a heritage pork chop. Confab is open for dinner nightly and for weekend brunch.
1350 Dresden Drive NE, Brookhaven. 404-963-1305, confabatl.com
Dutch Bros. Coffee, an Oregon-based drive-thru coffee chain, opened in Johns Creek on July 25, according to Tomorrow’s News Today.
9630 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek. 877-899-2767, dutchbros.com
The Harvey, a sports bar from the team behind Southbound, opened in Chamblee on July 2, as first reported by Tomorrow’s News Today.
5480 Peachtree Road, Chamblee. 470-359-3414, chambleeharvey.com
La Bodega, a market and pupuseria from the team behind Buenos Dias Pupusas, opened July 22, according to an announcement on Instagram.
1975 Sylvan Road SW, Atlanta. 404-809-4158, labodegaatl.com
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Las Brasas reopened in Decatur on July 18 after a renovation, as first reported by Decaturish.
614 Church St., Decatur. 678-705-2084, lasbrasasdecatur.com
Sister restaurants from STHRN Hospitality, a cafe called Little Gem and food truck called Pizza Stop, both opened in mid-July at the Perimeter Summit development in Brookhaven. Little Gem will be open 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. weekdays. Pizza Stop will offer lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays.
Little Gem. 2002 Summit Blvd. NE, Atlanta. littlegematl.com
Pizza Stop. 1001 Summit Blvd. NE, Atlanta. pizzastopatl.com
Lucky Goat Coffee, a chain out of Tallahassee, Florida, has expanded into Georgia with the opening of a store in Dunwoody, according to a news release. The new coffee shop held its grand opening July 10.
4343 Dunwoody Park Suite 300, Dunwoody. 470-882-9097, luckygoatcoffee.com
Magnolia’s Kitchen & Cocktails has replaced Under the Cork Tree at the Prado in Sandy Springs, Tomorrow’s News Today reported. The new concept opened Thursday and remains under the same ownership.
5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-228-7470, magnoliassandysprings.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Pho Hoa & Jazen Tea, a Vietnamese restaurant franchise, opened its first Georgia location in Marietta on July 12, according to a news release. The franchise is owned and operated by local entrepreneur Leo Zheng.
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta. 678-446-2131, phohoa.com
Pink Lotus, from the team behind 26 Thai and Blackjack Bar Tapas, opened in West Midtown. Restaurateur Niki Pattharakositkul debuted the restaurant with the intention of serving lesser-known Thai dishes from the southern, northern, central and Isaan regions of Thailand.
976 Brady Ave. NW, Atlanta. 470-346-2609, instagram.com/pinklotusthai
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, a chain with nearly 20 restaurants on the East Coast and in the Midwest, opened in downtown Alpharetta on July 28, What Now Atlanta reported. The chain has another location in Cumming, not far from Lake Lanier.
9 South Main St., Alpharetta. theshuckinshack.com
Social Capitol American Bistro opened July 21 in the Origin Hotel Atlanta in South Downtown serving breakfast, lunch and dinner just off the hotel’s lobby. The restaurant includes a full bar and a casual menu of Southern food, with items like pulled pork sliders, fried pickles and a pickled peach flatbread.
110 Mitchell St. SW, Atlanta. 470-964-3320, socialcapitolatl.com
Truth Be Told Lounge, a new upscale restaurant from chef Matt Marcus (the former owner of Watershed and more recently executive chef at the Woodall), opened July 23 in Roswell, according to an announcement on Instagram.
1104 Canton St., Roswell. 470-292-3050, tbtlounge.com
Credit: Van Leeuwen
Credit: Van Leeuwen
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opened at Ponce City Market on July 11.
619 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. 718-701-1630, vanleeuwenicecream.com
Vice Steak Bar, chef Nick Leahy’s pasture-to-plate steakhouse, opened in Milton in mid-July. The upscale steakhouse is in the same development as is sister restaurant, Smash Burgers by Vice.
3000 Heritage Walk, Milton. 470-550-1088, vicesteakbar.com
Restaurant closings
Citizens Culinary Market, a food hall at Phipps Plaza, has closed after a little more than two years in business, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.
Julianna’s Coffee & Crepes in Inman Park permanently closed near the end of the month, Eater Atlanta reported. A sign posted on the door noted that the restaurant was shut down “due to nonpayment of rent.”
Lazy Dog in Peachtree Corners closed July 25, Channel 2 Action News reported. The California-based, nationwide chain still operates locations in Alpharetta and Dunwoody.
Mascogo Tacos in Decatur will not reopen after shutting down earlier in July, owner Craig Headspeth announced on Instagram. “There are just too many factors, and unfortunately, it’s out of my hands at this point,” Headspeth said. He started a GoFundMe page to raise money to help his staff cover their lost wages due to the unexpected closure.
Local chain Souper Jenny will soon close its Brookhaven location, with plans to relocate to a new space in Chamblee later this year, the restaurant announced on social media. The location at the corner of Peachtree and Kendrick roads will remain open through next week before shutting down.
Simply Done Donuts in Duluth closed July 30, as first reported by What Now Atlanta. The mini-donut shop announced the closure on social media, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs and the “relentless” nature of the restaurant industry as reasons for shutting down.
Multiple other restaurants announced that they would be closing in August, including Howdy Biscuit Cafe in Grant Park, Lure Saltwater Kitchen & Bar in Midtown and Pig-N-Chik BBQ in Sandy Springs.
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