August was a good month for the metro Atlanta dining scene, which saw the opening of nearly 20 restaurants compared to just a handful of notable closures.
Some openings marked the return of previously shuttered restaurants, like Krog Bar and Yay Beignet, while others represented local expansions, like Northern China Eatery and Big Softie. While perhaps coincidental, three of the four restaurants that shut down in August specialized in breakfast food.
Restaurant openings
Avenue Kitchen & Cocktails opened Aug. 5 in Atlanta’s English Avenue neighborhood with a club-like atmosphere and a Japanese-American fusion menu, the restaurant announced on social media.
587 North Ave. NW, Atlanta. 404-491-0360, avenueatl.com
Credit: Courtesy of Big Softie
Credit: Courtesy of Big Softie
Big Softie has opened its third location near the Eastside Beltline in Old Fourth Ward. The walk-up window is located by 3 Parks Wine and serves the same soft-serve menu as its storefronts in Summerhill and Poncey-Highland.
405 N Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. bigsoftieatl.com
Daydreamer Coffee opened Aug. 22 on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the Texas-based chain announced in a news release. The shop is inside the Rambler, an apartment tower catering to students. This is the second Atlanta location for Daydreamer Coffee. Its first makes its home at the nearby Whistler apartment building.
736 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. daydreamer.coffee
Elise, a new restaurant from Lyla Lila chef Craig Richards, opened Aug. 19 at the Woodruff Arts Center, taking over the space formerly occupied by Table 1280. The restaurant opened with a seafood-forward, European-inspired menu that also features pastas made in-house. Dinner is a la carte for now, with plans to add a five-course, $95 tasting menu, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-540-7572,elise-atl.com
Jinya Ramen Bar, a nationwide Japanese chain, opened a location in Roswell on Aug. 4.
1013 Alpharetta St., Roswell. 678-585-6812, jinyaramenbar.com
King’s Chicken, a fast-casual fried chicken concept, has opened a stall in the Halidom Eatery food hall. It serves a menu of Southern comfort food with such offerings as mild or spicy fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, sides like macaroni and cheese, kale salad and potato salad, and sweets like a mint lemonade slushie and chocolate cake.
1341 Moreland Ave. SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/kingschickencompany
Credit: Courtesy of Krog Bar
Credit: Courtesy of Krog Bar
Krog Bar was resurrected by chef Kevin Rathbun after a five-year hiatus, with a new menu of coal-fired pizzas, the AJC reported. The new iteration of the restaurant is next to KR SteakBar in Peachtree Hills.
349 Peachtree Hills Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-301-7146, krsteakbar.com/krogbarcoalfiredpizza
La Mixteca Tamale House opened a location in West Midtown. The restaurant serves a menu of Oaxacan dishes like chilaquiles, gorditas, tortas, sweet and savory tamales and tlayudas. This is its second location in addition to an outpost in Suwanee.
1465 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. 470-851-1390, mixtecatamales.com
MilkShake Factory opened its first Georgia location in Milton on Aug. 23, according to a news release. The store operates daily from noon to 10 p.m.
12660 Crabapple Road, Milton. 770-829-0269, milkshakefactory.com
Credit: Courtesy of Jamestown
Credit: Courtesy of Jamestown
Necessary Purveyor opened in early August on the ground floor of Ponce City Market’s Scout Living hotel. The all-day restaurant and market offers baked goods, sandwiches, salads and coffee drinks from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. In the evening, it transitions to a full-service restaurant with a raw bar program, beer, wine and cocktails.
639 Glen Iris Drive NE, Atlanta. thenecessarypurveyor.com
Credit: Courtesy of RestauWant / restauWant.com
Credit: Courtesy of RestauWant / restauWant.com
Northern China Eatery opened its second location in a new development along the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail in August, the AJC reported. The pared-down menu offers the most popular items from the restaurant’s original Buford Highway location.
665 Auburn Ave., Atlanta. northernchinaeatery.com
Pop-up Pepper’s Hotdogs opened its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown Atlanta. Tarina Hodges launched the pop-up in 2020 with a variety of creative hot dog combinations. The permanent location near Woodruff Park joins her hot dog stand in Truist Park’s food hall, Outfield Market.
84 Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta. peppershotdogs.com
Credit: Courtesy of Wendell Weithers Photography
Credit: Courtesy of Wendell Weithers Photography
The Grove at Monday Night Brewing held its grand opening in West Midtown on Aug. 23, the AJC reported. The major addition to Monday Night’s original brewery space includes a 7,400-square-foot indoor taproom that also serves cocktails and more than 17,000 square feet of outdoor space that fronts the newest section of the Northwest Beltline, featuring a patio, firepits and a canopy of native trees.
670 Trabert Ave. NW, Atlanta. 404-352-7703, mondaynightbrewing.com/location/atlanta-the-grove
Credit: Courtesy of Tipsy Thaiger
Credit: Courtesy of Tipsy Thaiger
Tipsy Thaiger opened its doors Aug. 26, according to the restaurant’s Instagram. The new concept from Birdie Niyomkun is located at Roswell Town Square, where it serves seasonal Thai food and a lengthy cocktail menu.
605 Atlanta St., Roswell. tipsythaiger.com
Voicebox Cocktail Lounge opened in early August next to Peoples Town Coffee Bar near the Southside Beltline trail. The ’90s-inspired bar comes from Jaclyn and Joshua Barber and features cocktails, live music and neon decorations. It specializes in “custom syrups and complex, appealing cocktails,” according to the website.
55 Milton Ave. SE, Atlanta. voicebox.bar
Whit’s Frozen Custard opened late August in downtown Woodstock, according to a news release. The franchise is locally owned and operated by Anne and Andrew Stair, who have lived in the area for more than a decade. The Ohio-based chain has four other Georgia locations: Augusta, Columbus, Newnan and Roswell.
8200 Main St., Woodstock. 678-403-2036, whitsfrozencustard.com
Yay Beignet, a beignet and Ethiopian coffee shop, has returned to Atlanta. It closed its location in the Irwin Street Market last summer but has reopened in Hapeville with a menu of beignets and coffee.
755 Virginia Ave., Hapeville. yaybeignet.com
Restaurant closings
Cultivate closed its location at the Battery Atlanta in late August to make way for J. Alexander’s, Tomorrow’s News Today reported.
Duck Donuts closed its East Cobb location on Aug. 17, according to a report from Tomorrow’s News Today.
J. Christopher’s, a Marietta-based breakfast chain, has closed its downtown Decatur location after 19 years, Decaturish first reported.
Murph’s, the restaurant owned by legendary Atlanta Braves player Dale Murphy, closed Aug. 12 at Cobb Galleria, according to the two-time MVP’s Instagram.
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