Close Company coming to Atlanta, restaurants offer free food, and more from the dining scene
A cocktail bar from a New York brand is opening in Old Fourth Ward, multiple Atlanta restaurants are accepting donations and offering free food for families affected by the loss of federal food assistance, and more from the Atlanta dining scene.
Close Company cocktail bar to open in Old Fourth Ward
Close Company, a cocktail bar from the team behind New York City’s famous bar Death & Co., will open a location in Old Fourth Ward Nov. 6.
Atlanta marks Close Company’s third location alongside outposts in Nashville and Las Vegas, but it was actually the first city the team had in mind to debut the concept, co-owner Dave Kaplan said — it just took the longest to open here.
The bar opens Nov. 6 at 505 N. Angier Ave. NE in the New City Properties development off the Beltline. It will have an approachable menu, Kaplan said, with cocktails recognizable to most people and bar snacks like pastry pockets, popcorn and chips, following the model of the other Close Company locations.
Kaplan opened Death & Co. in New York City in 2007 with co-founder Ravi DeRossi. The bar quickly gained popularity and new locations followed in cities like Denver and Los Angeles. Kaplan also founded hospitality group Gin & Luck with current co-owner Alex Day, wrote three cocktail books and launched a canned cocktail line.
“Atlanta really hits everything that we’re looking for,” Kaplan said. “The Beltline is just absolutely so unique and I think gives a sense of permanence to this neighborhood (Old Fourth Ward).”
Kaplan said he wanted to offer an alternative but still complementary experience to the more formal Death & Co. Close Company should still feel like a “neighborhood cocktail bar,” Kaplan emphasized, but one without a host stand or reservations, where guests can walk in and grab a seat.
On the menu, the descriptive beverage names provide clues about their flavor, though the cocktails still offer surprises, Kaplan said. Expect offerings like the coconut highball with Dewar’s scotch and coconut soda, the wild strawberry daiquiri, the adventure gimlet and a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails as well. Prices are set around $15-$17.
Bar manager McKenzie Nelson (formerly at Ranger Station) will lead the team.
While all three locations have the same menu, the interiors are different to reflect the cities in which they reside, he said.
Atlanta’s 2,200-square-foot space includes concrete and steel but is warmed up with leather booths and an arched wood backbar. Flanking the entire space are “high energy art pieces” and retro orange speakers dotted in between. A large mirror ball in one corner offers some “life and energy,” he said.
505 N. Angier Ave., Atlanta. closecompanybar.com
Local restaurants work to fill gaps from government shutdown
As the federal government shutdown stretches into November and funding lapses, benefits for the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) will run out this weekend, leaving families without a means to pay for groceries.
Several metro Atlanta restaurants are stepping in to help. Here is a running list of eateries accepting donations or offering free food to those in need. If any are missing, reach out to @ajcdining on Instagram or email olivia.wakim@ajc.com.
Brave Wojtek, a Ukrainian pop-up, will be in East Atlanta Village on Banshee’s back patio starting at noon Saturday serving free kapuśniak (a cabbage and potato soup with smoked bacon and smoked sausage) until it runs out, according to an Instagram post. Chef Matt Reeves will hand out one container per customer, no SNAP card required.
Noon-sell out. Saturday. 1271 Glenwood Ave. SE, Atlanta.
Finca to Filter and Side Saddle Wine Saloon will run a food drive at its Old Fourth Ward and Boulevard Heights locations starting Saturday to stock Eastside Church’s Free Fridge and Little Pantry, according to a social media post. Side Saddle will also be taking Venmo donations.
680 Hamilton Ave. SE, Atlanta. 770-790-7886
652 Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. 470-590-7399, instagram.com/fincatofilter
Communidad and Poco Loco will offer several ways to donate. At Poco Loco, 5% of all November sales will be donated to DEAM Decatur, a ministry that provides emergency food and financial assistance to people in need. At Communidad, the Poco Loco chicken tortilla soup will be available to purchase in quart-size containers with 100% of the proceeds going to the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB). Communidad will also accept canned goods and nonperishable provisions to donate to the ACFB all month long, according to a social media post.
Nov. 1-30. Communidad, 655 Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. Poco Loco, 2233 College Ave. NE, Atlanta.
During the last hour of business at all Souper Jenny locations, the restaurant will have a community meal board with 10 meal tickets available. Those in need can take a ticket, bring it up to the register and, no questions asked, the staff will put together a dinner for up to four people to take home, according to a social media video. Souper Jenny also runs the Zadie Project, a nonprofit that donates quarts of soup to families in need from August through April.
Multiple locations in Roswell, Chamblee, Decatur, Buckhead and west Midtown. instagram.com/souperjennyatl
Crescent City Kitchen in Midtown will provide dine-in service for families who have lost SNAP benefits every Monday in November. From 4-8 p.m., families who present their SNAP card can dine on one free meal and beverage per person.
Mondays. 4-8 p.m. Nov. 3-30. 1080 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-549-9585, crescentcityga.com
Press Shop in Summerhill will host a food drive during its monthly Cookbook Club at Wood’s Chapel BBQ. Attendees can bring canned goods and other nonperishables to donate to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. With the donation delivery, it will also include printed recipe cards for easy recipes.
7-9 p.m. Nov. 6. 85 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. 470-346-2191, instagram.com/press.shop
Restaurant openings
Chef Fuyuhiko Ito has opened Ishin by Ito and Celestia at Ten Twenty Spring, the office tower in mixed-use development Spring Quarter in Midtown. Ishin by Ito is an omakase restaurant with offerings like crudo, nigiri and yakizakana. Celestia is a rooftop cocktail bar with a menu of international cuisine like caviar, escargot, wagyu ravioli, oysters, lobster and dessert. In early 2026, Ito will add Sozou on the ground floor of the building with a menu of contemporary Japanese cuisine.
Ishin by Ito. 1020 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. 678-272-5747, ishinomakase.com
Celestia. 1020 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. 678-272-5747, celestiatl.com
Kilwins, an ice cream and candy chain, has opened a location in Madison Yards. Its grand opening is Saturday from noon-4 p.m. with hot chocolate, face painting and a DJ.
907 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. 404-228—2760, kilwins.com
Ghee Indian Kitchen, a Miami-based Indian restaurant, has opened its first Georgia location in west Midtown’s Star Metals District. The restaurant comes from chef Niven Patel and Mohamed “Mo” Alkassar, both of whom are James Beard Award semifinalists. The locations in Miami both hold the Bib Gourmand distinction for good food at a reasonable price. The restaurant highlights farm-to-table Indian cuisine and offers a 13-dish tasting menu for $65 per person.
1050 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-201-2581, gheeindiankitchen.com/location/ghee-westmidtown
Restaurant announcements
East Coast breakfast chain Eggslut will open in early 2026 inside the Moxy Atlanta Downtown near Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. It will also house Jagger Suite, a Studio 54-inspired rooftop cocktail lounge. Eggslut will also open a location in Krog Street Market next year. The restaurant is known for its egg sandwiches.
329 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. marriott.com/en-us/hotels/atldx-moxy-atlanta-downtown/overview
Atlanta coffee shop Spiller Park will open its fifth location Nov. 3 in Midtown on the ground floor of the 999 Peachtree building. Owner Dale Donchey first opened Spiller Park in 2015 as a stall in Ponce City Market. The name is a reference to Spiller Field, a ballpark once located on Ponce de Leon Avenue, the self-proclaimed “baseball nut” said. He’s since added locations in Toco Toco Hill, Midtown and South Downtown. It offers a menu of coffee drinks, tea and toast combinations.
999 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. spillerpark.com
Jolene Jolene, a sports bar that features women’s sports, has ended its residency in the Brick and Mortar incubator space at Pullman Yards. The concept began as a pop-up in 2024 and launched a residency in Brick and Mortar for the past four months.
“We’re closer than ever to announcing our permanent home, the space Atlanta’s women’s sports fans deserve,” according to a social media statement.
About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
